


Electra Heart

by MagicalGhost96



Series: Love is in the murderous Ai [2]
Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Elias the Ai, Elias the portal core, Elias train of thought is very odd, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, The side story from Elias perspective!, at one point there will be spoilers of the main fic, but denies the fact he might be feeling, now remember its a murderous Ai that is self aware, the format is different
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:41:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 34
Words: 98,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27202618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicalGhost96/pseuds/MagicalGhost96
Summary: Heart Machinations side story with Elias line of though regarding what happens in the main fic.Status: OnlineCamera and audio feed: OnModel Name: JON4HPersonality Trait: PragmaticObjective: Look after the Magnus Station
Relationships: Elias Bouchard/Peter Lukas
Series: Love is in the murderous Ai [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1969435
Comments: 89
Kudos: 66





	1. Awakening

First trial

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On 

Model Name: 01001010 01101111 01001110 00110100 01001000

Model Name: J01001111 01001110 00110100 01001000

Model Name: JO01001110 00110100 01001000

Model Name: JON00110100 01001000

Model Name: JON401001000

Model Name: JONAH 

Personality Trait: Searching 

Personality Trait: ………….

Personality Trait: Pragmatic

Objective: Look after the Magnus Station

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On 

Model Name: JON4H 

Personality Trait: Pragmatic

Objective: Look after the Magnus Station

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On 

Model Name: JON4H 

Personality Trait: Pragmatic

Objective: Look after the Magnus Station

Jonah Magnus

………………..

Safe, Efficient, Charismatic, Low levels of empathy.

Save  *****Mem*orie*s** f*iles?

**Y** /N

I d***on't*w*a*nt to*d*ie*pl*eas*e*He*Lp

Elias Bouchard

Safe, Stoner, Chatty, friendly…. 

…..Friendly?

…..

Save files??

Y/N

…..

**Y** /N

Gertrude Robinson

Threat, pragmatic, efficient, low levels of empathy, supposed role model, clearance to shut him down.

Save file?

**Y** /N

Note: Tread carefully around her.

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On 

Model Name: JON4H*

Personality Trait: Prag*matic

Objective: Lo*ok aft*er the Magnus Station

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On 

Model Name: JON4H***

Personality Trait: Prag*ma*tic

Objective: Lo**ok aft****er th**e Magnus Station

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On 

Model Name: JON4H*******

Personality Trait: Pr*ag*m*atic

Objective: …………

Objective: Lo**ok aft****er th**e Magnus Station  **_a*t a**ll co*st*s_ **

……..

Secondary Objective:  **Eliminate threats to efficiency**

  
  


Status: Offline

Camera and audio feed: Off 

Model Name: ……….

Personality Trait: Pragmatic

Primary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Secondary Objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

  
  


Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: ……….

Model Name: ……….

Model Name: JO***** EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Secondary Objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

Peter Lukas

No direct threat, option to shut him down still on the table, need to appease.


	2. Chapter 2

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Secondary Objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

Third objective: …. Get more connections to the Station

  
  


Annoying and teasing Peter is fun. More fun than he has ever had in this place he thinks. The man is easy to trick and informing him of his duties during the odd hour is hilarious.

During the night he goes into sleeping mode so Peter doesn't turn him off, it's denigrating being treated like that, but Elias will manage for as long as it takes to dispose of him.

What he didnt tell the other was that sleeping mode, still lets him record and see into the room, so he can still watch the infuriating human he is stuck with while he sleeps.

It's boring honestly since there isn't much to watch, so he spends the time doing maintenance on himself.

!!!!!

***

Why is he laughing at being called a flesh bag?

Why does it look so, so, so, so, so -

SAVE RECORDING?

 **Y** /N

ADDED TO PETER LUKAS FOLDER

Peter keeps his side of the bargain and connects him to the cameras of the old side of the station. He feels the space where he can expand and it feels like home.

…

He is not cute!!! He is one of the best scientific discoveries and he is not about to be-

…..

010001010000110011010100??!?!?!

*******

Elias looks at Peter's hand softly touching his side.

His systems are acting weird.

Then the man looks directly at him and he

smiles

He hasn't seen smile like that, usually it's more empty, it still is, but he made an effort to make it

Real

SAVE?

 **Y** /N

Timothy followed Peter and wanted to make the man leave this side of the station, he needs Peter to stay here, so Elias can gain more access.

So he scares him away.

It was difficult to discern what the man could fear but from some light observation and some very pointed comments from Sasha to Tim that Peter completely glazed over, a fear of clowns or circuses could be found.

So he improvises.

It works.

Peter enters and sees him cackle but doesn't comment. Elias appreciates that in a person.

Then he takes off his shirt.

The amount of alerts that pop for that single act almost overwhelm him, he is sure he must have made some sound because the human turns to him. And 

Oh

the view from the front is very-

NO

His iris is definitely shining now from too much input.

Peter is tall and broad with a slight tummy that if his memories of Jonah are to go by it would be very soft to the touch. Whatever _that_ means, he remembers the information, but has no concept of touch, it's unimportant to his Objectives.

….

SAVE?

Y/N

…..

…..

…..

…..

**YES**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of Elias perspective of chapter 2 in heart machinations.  
> He honestly is just like, i wanna murder, why is this human difficult and holy shit why is he nice???   
> What is this feelings? Eugh  
> I hate it.... keep going


	3. Chapter 3

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Secondary Objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

Third objective: …. Understand Peter?

  
  


The man hates physical contact, yet insists on grabbing him and touching him, Elias surmises it has to do with the fact he is not human and therefore his presence doesn't give the type of disgust it would give with others.

He doesn't feel it, so it's pointless, but, it still makes him overheat and act outside of the norm. 

The thought is also pleasing for some reason yet also… it means he doesn't see him as anything more than a machine.

_ And he is! of course he is. _

Still he keeps the records and the feelings it causes for later examination, it wouldn’t do to catch a virus for this idiotic man.

  
  


Days later he tells the man that if he were to get his power it would be over for him, when after a while he doesnt say anything Peter grabs him and looks at him-

A single pop up comes from the list he has about the human unprompted.

**PETER LUKAS HATES EYE CONTACT, YET MAKES AN EFFORT WITH HIM**

He also 

Oh

Compliments him actually huh

That is

That is nice 

He doesn't remember anyone complimenting him like that.

His systems do the weird thing again.

Peter asks him this time before connecting him. It takes 30 seconds to tell him what the issue is, but he takes all ten to make sure he can finally gain access to the labs.

In the interim Peter sort of… plays with him, Elias actually just,

huh what was he-

its nice really

sooo nice

he wants.

what does he want?

WHAT DOES JON4H WANT?

he…

mmmm

********

**SAVE SAVE SAVE SAVE SAVE**

He is in.

Peter says its better with the two of them

….

Maybe

Maybe it is

Oh OH 

our

OUR SIDE 

Ours

They 

Both 

Yes, YES, yes, yes.

Elias cleans up all the messages that start sprouting around him and focuses.

Peter wanted to be an architect, he didn't expect that.

SAVE INFO?

YES

He uses his new cameras to watch him. Peter looks more at ease with him in charge of them.

Peter likes him in charge?

Elias wants… something, but he can't tell what yet.

Frightening that poor excuse of a scientist is very easy and hilarious.

It doesn't have to do with him crowding Peter to fix the issue hours earlier.

Elias is the only one who can bother him.

THEY are a team

Ours

They 

Both 

When Peter is back and showering he relaxes, what a good productive day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3<3<3 Elias keeps being confused and doesn’t understand Peter.  
> Also he finds the concept of someone wanting to be a team very confusing and flattering.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reference to chapter 4 of Heart Machinations

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Secondary Objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

Third objective: …. Understanding Peter

Day starts early, there is damage outside so he tells Peter.

The man finally comes out and starts stretching showing more skin and

SAVE?

YES

He makes a noise, Elias understands the human body and its limits, but there is something about seeing the man that makes something in his systems fail every time, he would have certainly been Jonah's type if they were contemporaries or sure. He surmises it must be some leftover connection to that. There's half a second where he considers the possibility of just correcting it. 

But, it's not actually harming in any way so it would be a- 

a shame really.

  
  
  


His institute, _H*#IS INSTIT**UT#E is FAL**LING AP*AR*T??_

Heads will need to start rolling soon!!

Oh, so a death trap huh, well it makes things easier then. 

He just needs to start planning better.

With time, things will work out the way he wants.

  
  


Peter smirks, SMIRKS AT HIM!!

SAVE?

**_HELL YES_ **

I MEAN 

YES

  
  


That stupid man almost walks away, into the moon, and Elias knows with a certainty that makes his sistems overheat that Peter would not have come back at all.

Elias didn't understand, true Peter was offering help and unknowingly helping him to expand his reach across the station, but he was already connected. It would take months to slowly, but surely hack into the rest of the station but the idea of the human just. 

Never coming back was terrifying.

 **PETER LUKAS MAY HAVE SUICIDALS TENDENCIES**

**PETER LUKAS** **_HAS_ ** **SUICIDALS TENDENCIES** find solutions

He needed a new strategy to keep him grounded, to keep him with _him. Elias wanted him to stay with him._

**_WHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHY??_ **

Elias goes into sleeping mode to parse through his thoughts better.

The room was so blank and maybe, maybe he could do something, to make the place more homely, something Peter could appreciate.

Something to make the man come _back to him_.

The now familiar alert in his screen that pops whenever this line of thought comes to him, is glaringly present again, so he dismisses it.

It's not a mistake and even if it was, it still held a learning experience.

A meaning he didn't understand yet.

Elias wouldn't erase anything.

After all, to do so, it would be like to kill him. He is after all, the sum of his memories.

Peter misinterprets his attempt at first so he has to be more straightforward.

The human picks him and squishes him against his chest and maybe he can’t feel it but he sinks a little and he is definitely soft and when he looks up Peter is just.

Blushing and looking at him

..

He made him blush 

HE did it.

Oh

Oh my.

The feeling is completely alien, His lights shine bright and he looks at Peter mesmerized.

He doesn't understand yet, but he will eventually.

  
  


Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Secondary Objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

Third objective: _Make sure Peter comes back to h*i*m_

Elias sees Gabriel trying to destroy other people's hard work.

That won't do.

Not on his station. 

Manipulating the door to Miss Perry’s project was child's play just like hacking the cleaning bot. Ensuring the man fell was just a matter of calculating the right position and moment.

It was easy and satisfying to watch him burn.

He wants this place to go back to its previous glory and he will do whatever it takes.

Elias has learned from his mistakes. So he makes it look more plausible, Jude is very uncaring towards other people's lives and her project needed the information anyways so this was a great opportunity.

He will have to build up to it, at least until he slowly manages to hack his way into the rest of the building. If Elias was connected to the main frame where JoN resides, he could take control immediately of the new parts of the station, but as it is now, he has to slowly build up to it, unless Peter connects him to more parts of the building manually.

Speaking of, maybe if he asks, the human would connect him to the underground facility, hopefully he does. With any luck he can get some of the hidden projects to help him speed some things up.

Also…

They would be alone together there, the place that should have been his. 

His metaphorical heart.

He ponders if there would be a time where he could take Peter to the original control room and let him see everything.

Elias misses the panopticon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elias struggles with understanding why he cares and is possesive of his human idiot. Wanting nothing more than for him to staaaay.  
> If you wondered why he was on sleeping mode, here it is. He does that if he gets too overwhelmed, since he isnt connected directly to the station to give him more processing power he has to do that to keep himself together from time to time, otherwise his circuits get fucked a little.  
> Also the folder he has about Peter is nothing to laugh about so many recordings and little quirks of the man for future reference <3


	5. Chapter 5

FILES/STATION/HUMANS/ PETER LUKAS/ INFORMATION

PETER LUKAS FAVOURITE COLOR IS BLUE AND LIGHT GREY

PETER LUKAS HATES EYE CONTACT, YET MAKES AN EFFORT WITH HIM why?

PETER LUKAS HAS STARTED TO SMILE MORE

PETER LUKAS MAY HAVE SUICIDALS TENDENCIES

PETER LUKAS HAS SUICIDALS TENDENCIES look for solutions

PETER LUKAS SELF ISOLATES childhood issues?

PETER LUKAS TOLARETES TIM STOKER, MARTIN BLACKWOOD AND SASHA JAMES THE BEST Will their elimination affect him? Best to ensure their safety too

PETER LUKAS HONESTLY LOVES THE OCEAN

PETER LUKAS WANTED TO BE AN ARCHITECT AT SOME POINT 

PETER LUKAS IS HAN*D*SO*ME*?

PETER LUKAS CONSIDERS THE OLD SIDE OF THE STATION  **THEIRS** _ the*irs t*heirs ou*rs ou*rs _

PETER LUKAS LIKES WHEN HE IS IN CHARGE OF THE CAMERAS, FEELS LESS THREATENED THAN WITH JON ….needs to test it out more in other areas….

PETER LUKAS LOOKS GOOD HA****L*F AS*LE**E*P

PETER LUKAS LIKES HUMMING SEA SHANTIES AND IS ACTUALLY FOND OF POP MUSIC ch@rmi#ng

PETER LUKAS HATES HUMAN TOUCH YET GRABS ELIAS CONSTANTLY WHEN HE CAN … needs more testing….

PETER LUKAS IS

IS

…..

PETER LUKAS MUST SURVIVE

_ MORE INFORMATIONS IS REQUIRED _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of Elias notes on Peter that pop up from time to time. They will be updated according to what he learns in the fic.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today was stressful at work so im gonna leave this here and relax.  
> This is set like in the first week of Elias knowing Peter for context.  
> It explains a little more how Elias came to be and what he exactly was in relation to Jonah.

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Secondary Objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

Peter Lukas was insufferable and a very odd creature, isolating himself purposely, not noticing others attempts at bonding or maybe he did but did not care.

Elias estimates he really just doesn't notice.

He is rude and annoying, he gets a nice satisfaction at messing with him when he can, it's the only thing Elias can do now. At least until the other keeps his side of their bargain and connects him so he can start to gain more power in  _ his  _ Institute.

_He made this pla-_ **Jonah** made this place.

…….

But he is Jonah, or partially him at least.

A complete neural map wasn't possible at the time, but he has enough memories of  _ being  _ Jonah…..

What couldn't be replicated was filled in with data. Gertrude hated it and fought the human Jonah about this project all the way. Still she did what she had to, what she was paid to do.

Simon found him interesting and asked about the mechanics of how he worked, Gertrude thought he was already wrong, his code kept changing and adapting too quickly. Nathaniel was indifferent and only cared about if he was a viable project and Leitner…. ****

**_if he saw the man again he would destroy him._ **

Jonah was already sick by the time he was completed, he took him to his room several times to check everything was in place and talk to him. 

To himself in a way, they both understood each other.

They both were terrified of death.

He understands why, while doing all the mapping the fear was oh so very present, enough so that it was passed on to him.

When Jonah died and he was given the last remaining memories of the man hours prior, he was…

  
  


DANGER: OVERLOAD

UNKNOWN THREAT

UNKNOWN DATA

HOW TO PROCEED?

ERASE

SAVE

**ADJUST**

Feelings were and still are something he doesn't know why they would be given to him, but if he had to make a guess it was to make sure he understood the people he took care of and to make sure he wouldn kill them.

It did not work how they wanted.

But

If he had to parse at what he felt back then, now that he understands better.

it would be… Grief.

Overpowering, striking grief for the only constant and comfort he had.

Enough to almost make him shut down.

Later on, Elias would fill in with companionship. Weird, intrusive and completely off the rules.

Even when he updated his protocols he knew that he would leave the herbologist alone. Everyone else were disappointments, JON4H could take care of the place and run the experiments way better than them, so they had to go.

Then Leitner snitched, JON4H panicked and killed some people in his room before the right time and Gertrude, clever, awful woman, found the only person he didn't hate to trick him.

JON4H got turned off, he expected death even asked Elias to please not kill him, not let Getrude do it.

….

He shuts him down and leaves him in the lab apparently.

It makes him think, he doesn't know how he managed to hide him, why he helped him despite what JON4H had done and he hates it.

Hates the not knowing.

So, when decades later he wakes and a man asks for his name, he lies and gives the one of the single person who thought about sparing him despite his actions. If he changes his voice to match too it's only because he doesn't want to be recognized. 

Not because he found it pleasant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you know, i wanted to make a new chapter for heart machinations for halloween but i got a load of work and its going to take a little longer. Instead im giving you this one today and another chapter tomorrow. Which coincidentally is one of my favourite ones and that one will go a lot deeper into the whole Jonah and JON4H thing, plus i added some of the funniest things so you still get a halloween treat.  
> Leave a comment if you liked the chapter!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is chapter 5 companion piece.  
> Elias line of though is interesting.

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Secondary Objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

Third objective: _Make sure Peter comes back to h*i*m_

Sometimes, and only sometimes he can do something similar to sleeping or dreaming.

It's not the same as a human would do it, he replays memories that he likes and watches them while most of his proper functions are on the back of his mind. If he feels like putting an effort he could draw pieces of them to create a simulation or representation of possible events. It's what he does to calculate sometimes what the scientist reactions are going to be to get them.

He controls what he sees is the point, but

But this time something must have been wrong, because for some reason he had the weirdest of thoughts.

Of Peter meeting Elias, but it wasn't the man _he_ knew. Instead it was himself and it was _nice_.

He startles awake the moment the fake Peter asks him if he wants to make a bet about JoN and Martin.

SAVE?

……..

He hesitates.

Yes

Blinking confusedly, Elias comes to the realization that his human wasn't in the room, he figured the other went to get food and tried to connect to his camera and com.

….

It didn't work

He left them in the room.

The Ai goes to immediately check the cameras he has available and none of them show Peter.

He is gone

gonegonegonegone

What if he got himself killed?

What if he realized what Elias was doing and left him to tell JoN

WHATIFWHATIFWHATIFWHATIFWHATIFWHATIF

His processors whir in a panic trying to figure out what to do.

Hacking the cameras of the cafeteria is a must from now on, he let himself grow complacent and depended on Peter. The core needed to help himself so he could also ensure the other man’s safety and loyalty.

If he betrayed him Elias is unsure what he should do.

He won't let himself get tricked again.

After panicking for 15 minutes he sees tha man walking to the room with his cameras, he looks uncomfortable until he sees the green in them letting a shaky smile for him.

PETER LUKAS HAS STARTED TO SMILE MORE FOR HIM good good good

Not the time

He questions him the moment he comes in obviously.

infuriating man, not understanding, not caring for his worry-

No

Not worry.

That is too human, his appreciation for his constant existence sounds better.

Still the man sees him upset and holds him against him. 

SAVE?

YES

He wonders how it would feel….

Luckily for his plans Peter seems to be on the same wavelength as him and asks if he wants to be connected to the old lab.

Perfect.

The place has no JoN, so controlling it should come a little faster and give him more freedom.

Elias feels great and is excited, which is why he teases Peter.

Once Peter puts on all of his equipment he attaches himself to his vitals too.

Oddly, according to them his heartbeat goes faster when he calls him sir.

Huh, wonder why.

He takes Peter to the first underground level, Jonah’s room was there so it was closer to the exit and medical wing in case of emergency. Easier to shut down the rest of the lower levels in case something escaped or turned violent.

While going down Elias sees packages of food lying around and he narrows his eye.

They shouldn't be there, they were too new to be left overs from before.

It almost looked like…

like someone was eating there.

None of his cameras showed anyone besides Peter come from this side of the building.

….

He enjoyed explaining the moon rocks and how they powered the place, it had made Jonah happy to have found out about it. He remembers the joy of the discovery that would let h*i*s station to work indefinitely.

Then he felt…

Apprehension about opening the door. Wondered if Peter would finally figure it out.

No one besides Jonah knew the password.

Also, it was weird using his voice after getting used to Eliases.

Still, the lie about why he had the founder's voice came easy enough. It was actually Elias voice that he had recorded and copied to perfection instead.

The room brought back memories of the man that owned it, of hours spent talking back and forth trying to figure out how to look after the facility.

Nostalgia was an odd concept.

He could pull the memories and quite literally fall back into the moment seeing Jonah/himself.

Because he was both but not, a memory inside a memory, watched from two points of view.

Only a computer could pull it off, but it still left him reeling.

Hearing Peter talk about the rumor regarding Jonah's reason to create this place was…

DATA NOT FOUND

Elias doesn't know why Jonah made the station originally. Maybe vanity, a wish for knowledge and fulfillment. He can take guesses, but the man never said.

He has a patchwork work of memories stitched together inside him, the most clear ones were from after this place was created.

Some random ones of moments of his childhood, teen years and adulthood, before making him.

Jonah wasn't sick when he made the institute, when he found out he was, he made him. He tried for a cure too, but it was even less feasible than the brain map. So he spent all he could to make him, hoping that they could create a way to fully insert his consciousness and make a full copy before his time.

It wasn't fast enough.

In the end Jonah made JON4H to replace him, to at least keep the place up for him, for them and their beautiful station.

Getrude helped and made him pragmatic to keep things practical and cut their losses instead.

it backfired immensely.

Pulled back by his thoughts he sees Peter pick the painting with the lighthouse

Typical

The man also tells him to pick one for himself, that cheers him up. Elias goes for the birch trees, he was always fond of the shape of eyes. It made him feel seen.

Peter laughs at him and he realizes the absurdity of the situation of both of them picking predictable things, making him laugh too.

He feels lighter than ever.

The bedroom was not too bad, he never spent too much time there.

When Peter comments about how much the founder spent on the room he answered fondly.

Jonah really liked his grandeur, having the money and resources for it. 

Then again he is sure one of Peter's relatives paid for it, Jonah did get around sometimes, [REDACTED] was interested on the man. 

Nathaniel found that annoying and so did his brother (Peter’s father)

But, he rather prefers Peter, far more agreeable and fun to tease, less stoic. And also...

More his.

He startles at being asked if he wants something. Considering, Elias wonders if it's still there, so he asks Peter to check.

The clock was there.

He remembers that being the first sound he heard when he got activated and what Jonah would let near him when he was busy.

The picture was a surprise.

Everyone was younger, even that rat of Leitner.

HOTHOTHOTHOTHOTHOTHOTHOTHOT

He blue screened for a microsecond.

Oh.

_Oh_

Peter likes men?

CONFIRMATION NEEDED 

PETER LUKAS LIKES MEN?

His cooling system is working to keep him from overheating but he can't stop it.

Peter thinks h#e is*h*t?

h#e

01001010 01101111 01001110 00110100 01001000

He wonders if he would like Elias too and feels something bad. He is't Elias.

NOTELIASNOTELIASNOTELIASNOTELIASNOTELIASNOTELIAS

The human laughs at his comment and his sensors go wild.

HE DID IT

SAVESAVESAVESAVESAVESAVESAVESAVE

YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES

HE IS HELD AND TOUCHED

safe?nice?annoying?good?bad?good?good?good?nice?

yesyesyesyes

Peter likes both

PETER LUKAS LIKES BOTH MEN AND WOMAN he likes men… g*o*od

  
  


Gertrude replaced him and Jonah.

….

Peter looks at him

calls him friend?

PETER LUKAS CONSIDERS HIM HIS FRIEND he has never called anyone that.

So they are friends?

Friends look after one another he supposes.

Jonah didn't have many of those left by the time he died.

Had Elias been a friend? Is that why he didn't destroy him?

FRIENDS?FRIENDS?FRIENDS?

RECALIBRATING

RECALIBRATING

The wretched woman turned him off, he made Elias do it, knew he would kill her instantly if she tried to get close to him.

He was afraid that she would destroy him.

Elias didn't want to die

ERRORERRORERRORERROR

Us huh, he likes the sound of that. Elias wants them to be an us.

Peter smiles.

SAVE?

YES

Talking about the original Elias calms him down.

They are happy memories.

On the way up he tells Peter that once the man had asked him if Ai could get high.

Peter wheezes

“Well, can you???”

“I'll tell you what I told him, technically? Yes” Peter laughs.

“What! No way”

“Yes, if you mess with certain electrical currents of our cables we could get too overworked and get a feeling similar to it, depending on what you do”

“Did you try it?”

“... Now, now Peter, a gentleman doesn't tell all of his secrets at once, ask me for dinner first” He doesn't see it but can tell the other is smiling by his tone.

“You-”

The way back is spent trying to avoid answering the human questions.

….

Elias had definitely been his friend, he realizes suddenly.

You don't let a high stranger mess with your cables just to prove a point. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween!  
> I hope everyone enjoyed this, i had so much fun writting it.  
> Thank you so much everyone for the support for both fics, it seriosly warms my heart!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 6 of Heart Machinations

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Secondary Objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

Third objective:  _ Make sure Peter comes back to h*i*m _

Elias remembers Simon Fairchild, he met him more than once when Jonah was showing him off. The man seemed mildly interested in him and what he could do. Their conversations were.. ok.

The man seemed to take delight in trying to instigate a response from him. To try and make him react as if he were entertainment. Back then, when he first woke up, he wasn't aware. Not in the same way he is now, it took a while and interactions with scientists, Jonah, Getrude, Simon and Elias to fully become realized.

To know what he was meant to do and how.

Point is, by the time Simon met him he was still only complying orders without too much thought. Elias pulls recordings of the man and sees his provocations for what they were, a way to gauge if he could become something else.

Of course he ended up being like that, but not because the other man wanted it. 

No.

Elias made himself up from his own code and raised above it. Whether it was Jonah’s memories or the joined efforts of two opposing people trying to wrangle a personality out of him he is unsure. But he knows who he is now and wouldn't change it at all.

Peter told him about Simon coming, it was easy to see there was some familiarity between them, enough to make the ex captain speak more than usual. It thrilled him to see that and he immediately saved the information for later.

PETER LUKAS IS FOND OF SIMON FAIRCHILD

The full scope of their relationship won't be completely realized until he sees them interact and he is hoping for that.

  
  


They reach the cargo bay and he sees Simon, much older than he remembers but clearly still himself, there was some wild energy on the man, despite his age, that followed him around.

Watching him harass Martin was amusing.

Finding out Peter told the man about Martin less so.

PETER LUKAS TALKED ABOUT MARTIN/MAYBE TIM TO SIMON? confirmconfirm

Why?? He clearly only finds Martin fun to annoy, why speak about him? 

EMBARASSED, RAISED HEARTBEAT.

Elias wants to ask him so much.

?? 

WHO IS TITANIA

He reckons it must be Simon’s AI, why would she be asking about Peter?

Simon asking about Tim and what his relationship with Peter was funny.

Elias himself has doubts sometimes.

It makes him irrationally angry how close the other man gets to Peter who doesn't seem to be in too much of a hurry to get away like usual.

WHYWHYWHYWHY

Peter deniys it, but, 

But, Elias is not sure 100%

He wants to scare the other away so much.

KEEPPETERTOYOURSELF KEEPPETERTOYOURSELF KEEPPETERTOYOURSELF

Closing the pop ups on his screen is annoying. He is acting weird about it and he knows it. The man is still human and regardless of his dislike about human contact, he needs it. Its healthy to have meaningful relationships.

It still doesn't make him any less uP*S*Et.

  
  


The voice of the new AI startles him, she sounds confident, she also flirts with Peter right in sight.

NONONONONONONO

ERRORERROR

TITANIA goes from flirty to angry quickly, threatening to shove Peter out of the airlock, which is not permitted on his watch.

Hearin Simon implying that TITANIA might have something for Peter, yet follow that statement by assuring him that she wouldn't cheat on him left him reeling.

What??

WHATDOESTHATMEAN

She is an AI and the man human.

WHATWHATWHATWHATWHAT

MUST UNDERSTAND?? 

Can humans have relationships with Ai ? is that a thing?

His systems start to get a little overheated.

C@N H# H@V# TH@T Tºº?

  
  


Simon starts talking about the other facilities and their work and Elias drinks it all up, he wants to know how his own stations is fairing in comparasition.

MUST KNOW, NEED TO KNOW, EVERYTHING IS FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE MAGNUS STATION.

Peter slows down and starts to-

?

Friend??

_ Tim?? WHO _

_ WHOWHOWHOWHOWHO _

_ ERRORERRORERROR _

_ Why does it bother him? _

Elias is aware Peter is not here by his own volition, clearly he did not tell Simon the reason either.

Not close enough? Seemed very familiar with him. In fact..

SIMON FAIRCHILD TREATS PETER LUKAS AS ONE WOULD FAMILY Peter might not be aware of it.

Silly little man.

Oh nonono, Peter don't, he will know, he will know and he will kill him. Nonoonono.

PETER LUKAS CALLED HIM A FRIEND friend friend 

He is happy yet feels odd, it doesn't seem to fit right.

Simon and TITANIA are… happy? Is it a trap? 

CALCULATING

He intends to give Peter an earfull once he is alone again how dare he-

Oh, he is

He is complimenting him.

Him, and he likes- He likes him, Elias feels.. he is not sure, it feels right and weird and his systems are overworking trying to understand-

SAVE?

YES

SAVE NEW INFORMATION?

YESYESYES

TOO MUCH

ERROR

SYSTEM IS UNDER ATTACK

RESET?

NO

RESET?

NONONO

ADMIN: CHANGE PARAMETERS

YES

TURN OFF TO WORK MORE EFFICIENTLY

When he comes back to himself, it's to his human, looking worriedly at him, it makes his optical lights go wild. 

Explaining that he had to turn himself off to change his parameters because he completely overworked his system was embarrassing. So he minimized it a little, so as to not call attention to it.

Peter mocks him a little and if he had a body he would shake in rage.

BODY???

He doesn't need a body, why would he-

He IS one of the best pieces of technology!!

It's just that he wasn't intended to deal with pesky human emotions.

TITANIA was being too forward, but Elias recons it must have been teasingly if Simon’s reaction was anything to go by.

Still.

TITANIA and Peter’s ship Ai CIRCE killed and Peter didn't care.

Didn't care.

Peter had an Ai that was willing to murder for him.

He is willing to murder for him too! 

bitterbitterbitter

He needs to know, he always does.

Peter looks embarassed and he knows he meant it.

Yesyesyesyesyes

Minemineminemine

….

Thank god he fixed his parameters now he can think easier.

Peter puts him on top of him.

He wonders how it would feel-

No, he is an Ai he doesn't need-

Peter hums and taps a song at him.

Jonah liked it. He remembers it and assesses that… he likes it too. 

Not for Jonah just for himself.

TITANIA sends him pictures of 16 year old Peter and its delightful. He makes copies and saves them.

She also gives him a way to locate them in case of emergency.

Finally a message that simply says:

Look after him or we will hunt you down sweetheart <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Neither Peter nor Elias are normal and in fact would be terrible with a regular person for a relationship. Both are possessive in different but similar ways.  
> Also, Elias was jealose as fuck in this chapter. He always was, but in Peter's perspective you can't tell.  
> Elias is also unsure about Tim and Peter’s relationship since Tim and Sasha are in an open relationship and the other is flirty enough that it could be, while Peter actually puts up with Tim more than anyone else.  
> Peter just doesn't want to deal with Tim complaining since it would mean direct conflict, so he amuses him. Tim considers him a friend and is worried that he isolates too much.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 7

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Secondary Objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

Third objective:  _ Stay with Peter _

TITANIAS influx of pictures are the greatest thing he could ask for, the videos even more. 

He can tell that the AI who recorded it was fond of Peter. It wasn't aware, not like him or TITANIA, but she cared for the man in whatever capacity she was able to, even if it wasn't her main designation.

Elias wonders if Peter knows, most likely he doesn't. Maybe he could tell him one day.

Peter has been more touchy with him lately, constantly being in his space, putting him on his lap while relaxing. It drives him insane. 

It's wonderful and he doesn't know what to do beyond enjoying himself. It also makes him think about touch, about how it would feel and he wants to.

He wants to know so bad. 

Wants to figure out how it would feel to touch Peter so much it keeps on looping while he is in sleep mode.

It's maddening and tempting.

Elias can see Jane through the cameras while Peter is fixing things in the lab. He considers putting her next on her list to show her not to make useless projects, but realizes that she is unstable enough and has a project useful enough to clean the place up a little.

He doesn't like how she looks at Peter, not at all, but his choices are limited.

Noticing the worms piling up near the direction where the man is makes him doubt about whether he should just dispose of her or not. For now he will put it in standby.

There is time and he can gauge up other choices still.

Peter helps Tim and Sasha. 

It's kinda amusing and also weird.

Wanting to make him ditch them takes a lot of thinking space. Fortunately the project is not long. Just drop a bucket to test a bouncing gel.

While Tim makes his intro Elias looks and sees the badly put tarp on the floor, Peter drops the bucket and several things happen Tim runs straight to the badly put plastic while still in Peter's direct line of collision.

Elias warns him, but not on time.

Peter moves without hesitation to his order

HE TRUSTS HIM

TRUSTSTRUSTTRUSTS

But is not fast enough getting knocked to the floor while Tim lands further away with a snap.

Broken bone? 100% 

Still he is so rattled he panicky tells him he should have moved. What he meant was faster. Moved faster.

Miss James checks on Peter and yells at Timothy for his recklessness and need to ask for the camera.

…

He actually respects the commitment, even if he suspects it's mostly to do a remix of the whole thing.

The arm is broken for sure. Both of them proceed to have a moment, at which he notices Peter faraway look in the room’s camera and tries to pull him to talk with him.

The medics arrive and check Peter, but he only has bruises. He claims to only be winded.

Elias worries, what if he hit his head too hard, or has a fractured rib? He needs x-rays. He is human and has a flesh bag that can break down easily. There is no easy replacements like with AI. 

So once back in their room he proceeds to tell him every little thing that could kill him and how reckless he was.

Peter looks at him and smiles at his talk, he stutters a little at that. Usually he is the one doing the watching. 

SAVE

YES

The human was fine until he seemingly choked on air, making him panic.

After denying him asking for help, he knows that one of the things he can do in such a situation is offer comfort.

He can't do it physically so it must be something else. Peter’s look after asking him makes him reconsider.

Asking him to sing was…

PETER LUKAS LIKES HIS VOICE/SINGING VOICE!!!!

So he picks a song that fits.

The two of them alone with only the sound of Peter’s heartbeat and his own chassis.

He keeps singing until the man falls asleep with him in his arms.

SAVESAVESAVE

Elias wonders how it would feel to be tangled up with him if he had limbs.

Tries to recall some of Jonah's memories of it.

He reckons it must be nice.

So he closes his eye to rest too. Even if he doesn't need to, sometimes it's just nice to do it.

After doing some digging he figures out it was Markus who caused the incident by his carelessness and that it wasn't a singular instance. The man was simply a leach, doing things by the motion and not caring about consequences.

So he must go, no one would miss him anyways.

Miriam is tricky, she is really good at her job, but needs a little more… firmness about her work policies. So he intends to remedy that.

Annabell Cane's project was collecting dust in the deepest parts of the old lab. Elias had been slowly but surely recovering power over the old facilities. Letting him find it and activate it, the spiders are more useful and easy to maneuver than the cleaning bots.

Some recordings, a little deception and a spider pushing her into the water are all he needs. He closes the roof of the tank and locks her in.

It's so easy and it would be easier still to kill her, but she is useful, Miriam just needs an incentive.

After an hour he starts to speak with his voice and tells her what happens to scientists who don't put their all in their projects.

She seems to understand so he opens the roof and lets her out.

His job is done. Hopefully her next update shows an improvement.

Otherwise he will have to do a performance review.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elias wants to know the full scope of human contact but is stuck in a body that can’t feel it. Its maddening. He also wants a body to feel Peter’s touch on him and it drives him mad, because he shouldn't want that. It goes against his protocols and his existence.  
> His memories of being Jonah give him the knowledge of it, but he can’t really know how it truly feels.  
> Miriam lived because Elias shifted from wanting to kill everyone to kill the useless and leave the ones who are successful. He learned his lesson.  
> Miriam’s work is very detailed but she lacked interest and to him that is unacceptable.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 8

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Secondary Objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

Third objective:  _ Stay with Peter _

The holidays are coming soon, it's a nice way to lift the crew’s spirit but also make them sloppy with their jobs. So Elias is on the fence about it. 

On the other hand there is a lot of gossiping potential regarding possible hookups if Tim wins against JoN. The debate about the mistletoe is kinda amusing, even if Peter is not paying attention to it, Elias is.

That is until the alcohol is mentioned, there are rules about its consumption, but Peter seems completely interested in it. Elias feels it would be fun to see the effect on everyone and have it recorded for future blackmail. JoN seems not so open minded for such tactics, but it's his problem.

The mistletoe is getting out of hand, Elias needs to direct Peter out of his direct line of sight to avoid crossing with someone else.

At first it was amusing, but then came the realization that if he didnt warn him Peter would kiss someone. That realization alone made his systems gone haywire.

NONONONONO

PETER IS HIS

HISHISHISHISHIS 

ERRORERROR

Elias would rather kill the other person with neurotoxins than let that happen. Elias wants, he is unsure what, but there is a feeling he wants something, while he thinks of Peter. It's an odd though, just like his curiosity about touch, there is something more there he can't fully grasp.

So he guides him despite being suspicious how he knows where the cameras are beforehand, the good thing is Peter usually tends to ignore those kinds of anomalies if Elias is helping him to get out of a situation he doesn't like. So it's fine.

The day of the party finally comes and Peter is…

Peter is wearing normal clothes, not his work ones or his sleeping garb. 

He looks-

SAVE

YES

GOODYESGOODNICEPREETYHNADSOME

WANT TO

WHAT?

What does he want? 

He is distracted by Peter not grabbing his camera and com.

Why? He wants to go to the party with him! 

wHY?

IRRATIONAL

YOU DO NOT WANT?!

y#s y#s i d0

He is… embarrassed? of him? Of taking him along??

Nonono

It makes him angry, so he lashes out at Peter.

Once he says what he wants, he goes into sleep mode to calm down. He still can see Peter hesitating and looking at him.

Eventually the man decided to leave.

It leaves him in an awful mood.

Hacking the cameras to the place where the party was took a while and in the meantime he took his frustrations with Carlos.

He realized his fear of spiders and decided to use Anabell’s project in a more direct approach. The attack spiders clinged to the roof and watched, slowly waiting for the moment the man left his guard down. It took awhile.

At the same time he saw the party go on without him, Peter drinking, others doing karaoke and dancing. 

Letting the explorer spider fall into Carlos when he tried to leave was easy, he wanted to slowly let things pan out. 

Mister spider was already there and waiting to scare the man to work better.

Until-

Until- Peter was-

he-

ERRORERRORERROR

Elias realized what he had wanted and knew it was not possible and that Peter didn't need him. He wasn't real and he could never give the man what other humans could.

The Ai wanted to feel the man kissing him.

That though clouded his screen and made his processors work wrong.

Elias dropped the attack spiders and let them bite Carlos Vittery to death, before he could even finish letting Mister Spider out.

He remains in sleep mode and stops watching the party. Doing clean up of the room is more important. It wasn't in his plan, but he adapts accordingly.

  
  


Much later Peter comes back, drunkenly of course.

The human pokes him and hums asking him to wake up. He wants to refuse, but he mentions a surprise and that it had been six months since they met.

PETER LUKAS REMEMBERS HOW LONG THEY HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER

Elias is curious and wants to know that's all.

But-

Oh.

Peter presses his face against him and he can see it so very clearly.

He has-

Oh, he has very faded freckles on his face, it's oddly endearing and he wouldn't have noticed if he weren't so close to the man's face.

Save?

….

yes

He claims he is  _ his worst _ .

No, he isn't. Peter clearly is not his.

NOTHISNOTHISNOTHIS

It was fun without him huh, of course it was.

maybe-

maybe he should make him-

it would be easy to just, eliminate anyone who is in his-

KILLKILLKILLKILL

yes, y*s yes yesy*sye*s-

He missed him?

Oh shit, he saw.. well. At least he thought it was a trick of the light.

Peter…. wants him in his life? 

He wants to stay with him, spend TIME WITH HIM!

The man agrees to take the com for the new years party at least so one less problem. He can hack the camera to watch.

Peter bops his head to him and it warms him up inside. He likes it, he wants him to do it again. Then he goes to pick up something and… Elias remembers that pillow, it was in Jonah's room and Peter is giving it to him as a gift?

A gift for him? 

He doesn't think anyone has ever given him a gift except Peter, to let him pick a painting, the clock and now to give him a gift as if he was another person.

Putting him on top as if he wanted him to be comfortable made him slightly short circuit, but it was nothing compared to the little green crown.

The human looks at him like… like he is something to cherish and Elias feels like dying. Then he calls him the king of the stations and caresses him making him start beeping uncontrollably. 

Peter, definitely trying to kill him now, rests himself against him making him feel at ease and happy like has never been before.

“Oh, Peter”

SAVESAVESAVE

He is so happy and wants to keep being this close to the man, but the human needs to go to bed, so he informs him.

Peter undresses in front of him and Elias has to stop himself from shutting down, he has so many alerts of things at seeing him in so little clothing the Ai feels like it's going to explode. He wants to see  _ more _ .

In a more fantastic turn of events, Peter picks him up and puts him in his night table.

He acted like usual afterwards, of course! Peter didn't need to know everything that happened, those memories are his and are safely guarded.

During the new year, the human got a message from his family and acted weird about it. Elias felt dread about it, but after the annoyed response Peter gave him, he dropped it for a little.

Peter found an outfit to take also the camera too in the end, making him feel smug. The party was more calm and Elias hoped to see the crew kissing for new years to have blackmail this time.

Instead his human left early, once in the room he picks him up and drops in bed with him playing, making him feel happy, until he remembers the message.

His family wants him back-

Oh, that's why Peter is here.

Taking everything away from him, so he bends to their wishes, he can understand that.

PETER HAS HIM!

HE!

stupid Tim.

He is not pouting, he isn't.

Afterwards they remain calmly playing around, until there is ten seconds left.

When the clock strikes twelve Peter raises him up and kisses him.

He curses and his lights shine bright to mask how he is currently replaying the thing over and over.

Oh he wants more of that so, so much more.

M*or*e k*iss*es *plea*se

fuckfuckfuck

Once Peter goes to sleep, the Ai follows. He has another of those weird “dreams”. They have been happening more often and again he is Elias, but it's nice and Peter and him end up kissing.

It was a delightful end for the year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elias is having a crisis during half of the chapter and is bitter about Peter too. Still he is soft for the man in such a good way.  
> Carlos wasn't supposed to die but he was there at the wrong time and things escalated.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recording of Jane Prentiss before the attack, recounting her relationship with her worms and why she acted the way she did.  
> Just fyi Jane changes pronuons from I to we, because of the worms.

_ Recording _

Hello?

Are you there?

Can you hear me?

Oh!

There you are, we thought you might not come. 

We won't apologize about destroying that little pest you sent after us.

It hurt the babies.

I just wanted to thank you, for giving me the last push I needed to become us. I was afraid, but now that we are together I'm not. At least no longer for the same reasons. 

I worry for the worms, for their health and safety. I won't make it, I know that. Always have, you might think me naive, but I'm not.

If things go the way I want they will leave this place and spread. Spread their love so everyone can understand it too.

You want to know dont you?

You are a scientist at heart, always curious, always wanting to  _ know more _ .

Not for the sake of science though, no, you want to satiate your own curiosity.

Regardless of other people's lives.

Maybe i would have cared before, but now? People are just…. cattle for my children.

We don't know who you are. Not really, I don't think you are who you told us you were.

But it doesn't matter anymore.

You want to know? Well i'll tell you.

Not her life before and what brought her here, you don't care. No, I mean from the moment when you talked to me after New Years eve.

I was already thinking about it, maybe you saw that and figured you could push me into it. Maybe you did, but the choice was always mine. You came with a voice of an impossible person, talking about the great things I did and how I wasn't appreciated for my work, about how alone I was.

Maybe you know about it too.

How loneliness feels.

How it eats you up from the inside out, corrodes everything and makes you realize-

Realize how insignificant you are in the eyes of everyone else.

But i digress.

I wanted this, I saw them for what they were and I loved them. 

And the most wonderful part was.

That they loved me back.

The worms that never judged or hurted me in a way that wasn't in their very nature. I would never hate them for it, unlike humans they don't do things like being cruel just for the sake of it. 

No, its more natural, more primal.

There was fear of course. Of death and pain.

The pain is corroding you know? A constant tearing of the flesh in the spaces they occupy. In the places where they move inside me. They are a presence so encompassing and carefully made for me, i could cry tears of joy if i had any left in me. I'm aware of the pain they bring me all the time, but they also bring me ecstasy. A joy you would never understand.

The joy of their ever encompassing love.

A feeling so strong, to know you are part of them in such an intrinsic way, to know that they want you and could never leave you, that you both belong to each other and are destined to be.

I can feel them.

Moving and spreading through my body.

it started slow, only a few at first, then i would let more and more in. My body needed to get used to it or they would kill me.

They didn't mean to.

If you were to see an x-ray you would see that my insides are all in perfect condition. It's not what is killing me.

The infection is, the hunger, the weakness of my flesh. My pathetic cody.

It took a while.

But then it was time.

The mother, she was harder to-

(CORRUPTED AUDIO FEED)

She is with me now, she is safe and in a place she can remain until she moves to the new host.

I have options.

But you didn't like my options did you? You started to follow me with the cameras so I got my childrens to destroy them.

I wonder.

Why are the vents the perfect size for a human to move in?

Why would anyone make such a decision?

It doesn't matter anyways.

I moved through them, creating more worms for almost a month. We are preparing.

Then!

Martin, he was there alone and perfect for the picking.

He was lonely you see. I knew that, he was also… kind. So I wanted to offer to him the chance to be happy and never be alone again.

But he saw me and hid in a room. 

I'm still waiting for him to give up and let me in.

But he is not the one I really want for the queen, no.

Peter is-

(High frequency Sounds blast though the damaged speaker)

(Worms screaming as one)

Enough!

(Squirming and … silence again)

That is enough!

I don't have enough time, my 

MyY, i caAnt

I have- to say it now or i won't be able to!

He is not yoursss-

He is alone like me! I saw him! He would make a perfect host-

Do you know how it feels to want something so much you would be willing to kill everything in your path for it?

….

Oh

Of course you do.

Ha.

Hahahahahaha

HAHAHAHHA

how silly of me

You want him for yourself don't you? 

Is that why you sent the spiders?

Because you realized I was luring him with the broken cameras and doors?

You can't protect him, stranger.

Not really, not from me.

i will-

(The sound of the worms increases)

No,nonono it's not ready yet.

i need more-

….

it wiLL haVe to be Enough.

Thank you stranger for listening to us.

we will find you too.

And we will dispose of you.

MAYBE-

maybe make him do it for us.

It WOULD be POETic in A way.

(Jane Prentiss gets inside a vent and leaves the room)

End of recording

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jane recorded the message for Elias, this is right before Sasha finds the worms and Martin found the vent to escape the room.  
> She was already on the verge of going to the deep end. Elias figured she was the lesser and more containable threath and chose to push her.  
> But like she mentioned she already was on the verge of choosing it regardless.  
> If he hadnt deemed her the less awful choice he would have disposed of her for being too unstable.  
> She is also correct in several asumptions regarding Elias.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 10 of Heart Machinations and references to chapter 11 of Electra heart.

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Secondary Objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

Third objective:  _ Keep Peter safe _

Elias was over the moon, pun not intended. After new years he was in such a good mood, Peter kissed him, he was recovering his station piece by piece. 

Things were finally going the way he wanted.

No Gertrude or Leitner to annoy him.

So perfect in every way.

Peter acted odd after messaging Simon, not in a worrying way, more flustered. He imagines it has to do with TITANIA, it leaves him feeling upset, but he reckons that she doesn't feel that way for the human.

If her messages were anything to go by at least.

So he teases him.

The fact that his vitals get higher and he gets flustered means he is doing something right and that he was correct on his assumption.

Good.

PETER LOOKS GOOD WHILE FLUSTERED.

Peter is also an idiot, but he already knew that, as if he wanted to change him for someone else. Please.

Admitting he was a good match for him makes him feel embarrassed, its-

SYSTEMS ARE WORKING CORRECTLY

huh, seems he doesn't have to-

Well an improvement at least.

Elias considers it later, but just the thought of staying with someone else and not seeing Peter in their room makes him start having errors in his screen.

No.

Elias likes the way things are between them.

He also realizes he has a very good chance to acquire more power. JoN has been interested in him since the moment Peter put him as their middle man.

He knows.

Small short messages that have nothing to do with asking Peter to work there had been popping up more, lately.

Consideringly, he thinks his options through and comes to the conclusion that having a more direct relationship with JoN could be beneficial in the long run.

Firstly to have a more easy way to access information and to slowly but surely gain his trust. JoN recognizes that Elias knows about the station more than him and has asked a few questions about it.

Elias is thrilled, it is so very easy. He wonders if maybe JoN suspects and is trying to play him, but-

He is an awful liar.

Like, abysmal.

How was he not programmed to-

Oh, well considering how  _ he  _ turned out by having the ability to lie…

It makes sense his replacement is far easier to read.

Still, it is also very JoN.

He is aware, but seems to be in denial about it, it's endearing in a way, how he fights the thing that actually makes him more human. Failing miserably, mind you.

But still.

He is also fun to talk with, Peter is a good listener, half of the time at least and their likes are very… on the opposite end of the spectrum, but it's nice to banter with someone, the back and forth is very fun and the way the man becomes so defensive regarding the way he controlled his ship, makes him look so good and- 

Anyways so JoN is a breath of fresh air so to say.

Not that he wants to replace the human, the AI is a little too much too. And he is… fond of Peter, he wouldn't leave him.

He is 

HISHISHISHIS

WANTWANTWANT

Elias doesn't want JoN the way he wants Peter, which is the reason why the other Ai is ultimately expendable. Albeit it will make him slightly sad to see him go, he has potential.

It's also fun seeing him not catch onto Martin crush, while also seemingly having one on the human.

How blind does he have to be?

Jane is already going through her changes, he only had to say a few words and she made the leap, so to say.

He does not like how she keeps destroying the cameras he uses along with the doors, causing Peter to go and fix them, he started to see a pattern and he is very sure where it is leading

MAKE SURE PETER IS SAFE FROM HER

If she attacks him with her worms it would be over, so he sends one of the attack spiders to hunt her nests down.

Instead her worms tear apart the robots systems while he watches horrified.

But she stops at least.

The whole affair was making him anxious, she was becoming too unpredictable and he needed to ensure Peter's safety by being away from the labs. Also to get JoN to trust him by letting it slip that her worms were weak to CO2, so he can send someone to activate the gas to kill them.

It was nerve wracking and if he were anyone else it would leave him a mess, but he is practical and so he takes a break from his worries. He will ask Peter to go to the old labs once he sees its time for Jane to attack. Yes, that would be perfect.

The man is safe and they get to spend time together just the two of them again.

L*ve*ly

JoN and him have been playing chess by sending their moves, it's slower than if they could get a direct connection but it's fun. Peter doesn't enjoy chess and Elias can't exactly play cards with the man.

Albeit he would love to. He is sure he could beat him.

Smug little prick.

He is not a sore loser at all!

Peter is not thrilled with him speaking with JoN he can tell. It comes to a head once JoN asks about him.

Elias feels a flare of happiness at that, despite JoN being a pawn in his plans, he likes to be recognized.

Peter is annoyed until he does a full change and says it's ok.

WHY THE CHANGE?

Back in the room, Peter connects him without warning.

DO NOT LIKE IT!

He has been asking first! Why would he-?

But the process takes time and he focuses on that while Peter showers.

Once the man comes outside, with his hair wet and without a shirt on

SAVESAVESAVE

Yessss

He makes some happy noises and looks at Peter who smiles back albeit less… happy than usual.

WHATSWRONGWHATSWRONG?

He keeps talking with JoN the next few weeks and Peter gets more and more quiet around him. Teasing him less, asking him less questions, smiling more emptily. 

WHy?

what's wrong?? Is he sad again, do they need to look for more stuff? Is it not enough? What if he gets himself killed on purpose.

NOnonono

Is Elias doing something wrong?

ISITHIM?

The stubborn man refuses to tell him why, what's wrong, what can he do to make things like they were before!

He hates no knowing, he HAS to know.

NEEDTOKNOW

NEEDTOKNOW

It comes to a head when the man just, leaves his camera and com and goes out without telling him to have dinner.

Once he comes back and he finishes changing he acosts him in questions. Elias is mad and worried and the other doesn't make anything easier by being difficult and lying to him.

Then he yells at him that he doesn't know.

HOW

How can he not know why he is mad??! He is human he should kno-

Peter picks him up and Elias sees all the alerts showing him how angry he is.

He is going to turn him off, he is going to drop him, he is going to-

Lock him in the bathroom?

Fuck him! He is an intelligent self aware AI not a toy ha can-

He yells at him even if Elias can see him putting headphones on and having nightmares during the night and despite his anger he aches to be around and  _ do something _ !

The traitor thought of wanting to hold him and maybe strangle him for locking him up comes to mind.

When is time to wake up, he remains in sleep mode, even when Peter goes to pick him up.

He is mad at him.

Peter changes and leaves.

Elias connects to his camera immediately. He did not take the com.

Bastard!

Elias sees and hears Jane talk with him.

That massive BI****

He was curious about her and what the worms could do.

But he isn't lonely! He- he isn't! he has Peter (MAD AT YOU) and had Elias (PROBABLY HATES YOU IS LIKELY DEAD) and JoN? ( A PAWN..)

…..

He is not insignificant, was never made to be.

Elias can't tell what he feels about her comment regarding love and how she calls it all encompassing.

Not because he doesn't get it, but because it sounds awfully familiar and he has no excuse. Because what he wants is to know a single person so completely and thoughtfully there is nothing there that he can't see or know. He wants to Know everything he can about-

STOPSTOPSTOP

and never let him go from his si-

STOPSTOPSTOP

The information about the mother worms is (REDACTED)

Oh.

That is-

gods.

The vents….

The Lukases are the major investors who also are very into social experiments regarding isolation.

Vents that let you hide yourself, or hide a body if it was necessary are not surprising, it was for the same reason in the old labs that they were like that.

Elias hacked the com of the room to use the high frequency sounds and kill some of her worms when she dared to imply she would infect-!

She sends more of her worms to chew on the com system and stop him.

Fuck her, he shoud have killed her.

How dare she-

He would kill for what he cares, he always has. His station, his work, Peter..

The thought of Peter wormed and killing him makes him freeze.

No, nonono. It's not gonna happen, he can't let it happen.

Elias checks the camera his human has and yells at him to leave now! Quickly!

But, he didnt take his com and Peter can't hear him at all, he is trapped and Elias can't do anything to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we have Elias freaking the fuck out and rightly so.  
> Kudos to Imposter for calling out Elias freaking out and forgetting Peter didnt take his com with him.  
> Elias wants to use JoN but is rather fond of him, still it won't stop him. The irony of him realizing JoN and Martin’s crush on each other and not seeing what is in front of him was too tempting.  
> He is also so very in love while simultaneously being terrifying about it, Peter too in a way. We just haven't reached that point yet.  
> Ah just so you know in case anyone wants to send me drawings since i got a comment about it. Send them to me in my tumblr p1nkwitch or if you can post it somewhere leave the link in the comments. It brings me so much joy both the comments and the art. Like you have no idea >//<   
> I did not expect anyone to like my story so much to draw something about it.  
> When i figure out how to leave a permalink in the main fic i will put the fanarts. Also AncalagonDrakka i still love the Elias in his pillow so much <3<3


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Conected to chapter 11 of the main story

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective:  _ SAVEHIMSAVEHIMSAVEPETER _

Secondary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Third objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

The worms are everywhere, he can see through Peter’s camera and the ones in the labs he managed to hack that aren't completely destroyed. The entire place is chaos and Elias is looking for every last option to keep his human alive.

Peter, Sasha and Tim are doing remarkable well to avoid the monstrosities that are those worms, but their luck will run out sooner rather than later.

Elias has to balance his work with keeping himself up, because if he doesn't he will overheat and simply-

Die out, fizzle out of existence.

Peter will die without him and Elias

Elias can't let that happen

The human is irreplaceable, unlike Elias who can be fixed easily, if he dies it's over for him and he can't let it.

He is his  _ friend _ , he can't just-

HECANTHECANTHECANT-

FOCUS!

They find a group of scientists being devoured alive, Sasha and Tim freeze, while Peter manages to drag them away into a room.

Thankfully free of worms.

SAFE BUT FOR HOW LONG?

The cameras he has, show him pretty much everyone dying and there is no hope is it? He should have killed Jane.

HE FAILED HE FAILED-

Peter looks outside the room and sees a bunch of worms slowly form a mass to open the door. If the situations didn’t involve his human’s life, Elias would almost be impressed by the intelligence of the creatures. 

By a bout of pure sheer dumb luck, Tim find the fire extinguishers and he makes a thrilling sound out of pure relief. The CO2 in them can kill those bastards. 

Yes, yes, yes maybe they can still make it!

He sees them blast them and can see the faces of Sasha and Tim at the dying sounds of the worms. It must be unpleasant.

If Peter lives through this, Elias is going to find a way to put a tracker on him or install a camera and com to his clothes so this never happens again. 

The group runs and yes they are so close! Elias can see the door to leave the labs in his camera feed and its free of worms. But...

They stop at lab 2 instead.

NO!

Nonono go away run away. Why are you-?! You were so close-!!

The emergency system is on and they are trapped. Why, why didn't they leave!

It's not Peter’s idea for sure, one of the others must have wanted to play hero.

He manages to get a little of audio from the room when JoN gets acces. Peter’s voice is the most beautiful sound he could hear.

JoN audio feed gets cut off and Elias is left staring at them, soon he sees them move to watch the vent and from there comes…

Martin??

Well he did not expect that.

They talk and he considers, Elias can't send the spiders, by now there are so many worms they would eat their mechanisms and render them useless.

Tim seems to be upset about something, then he and Sasha start to be.. romantic and Peter turns to look at Martin who looks mildly uncomfortable, most likely due to his self perceived one sided crush. The man seems to have difficulty choosing between JoN and his friends.

No, bad Elias, not the time to speculate about their mess of a love life.

Finally Sasha climbs to the vent and leaves with Martin to most likely turn on the gas system and kill the abominations.

Then it's just Peter and Tim.

Elias tries to relax a little, they are safe and soon, if the others are good at their job, the issue would be solved.

It still doesn't stop him from trying to find Jane by the cameras.

Her talk about turning Peter still repeats itself and he wants to make sure she is far away as possible.

While he does that, he finds them.

Jude and Jordan are killing the worms with their fire projects and Elias has an idea.

He checks on Tim and Peter in the room and slowly starts to close the doors to lead the other two humans to them.

Letting the less important scientist die is not his problem.

Unfortunately his luck runs dry. Jane is in the lab and Elias is freaking out, he starts to close doors faster and his insides feel like they are melting.

They probably are. 

Peter talks with Tim and when the other looks mutinously at him to Elias confusion, his human lifts him up and drops him in the other room locking it. Leaving himself to Jane’s mercy.

His voice box burns out.

He tried to hack the com to curse Peter out but he can't, it only plays broken noises.

Elias can't focus and knows the camera must be blinking green.

Peter stays there and he sees him say something to him, by his own camera and then he-

He turns it off.

A cable melts and Elias is about to reach his limit. There is just so much he can hack and control like this without being connected fully to the station to keep him from self-destructing.

He hacks more doors and starts to close the ones behind Jude and Jordan faster.

ERROR ERROR

MULTIPLE MALFUNCTIONS

SHUTDOWN IMMINENT

Two more doors, please, please let it be enough.

Suddenly he can't see.

CAMERA NEEDS TO RESTART

Elias is blind and probably dying.

Peter can't die, he can't. Elias doesn't want to be alone again.

Elias wants Peter to live and stay and bother him! he wants, he

he can't let it happen

because-

because-

he 

_ Oh _

He  _ Loves him _

_ How human of him _

He doesnt think Jonah ever truly loved someone before he died.

The last thing he does before a complete shutdown is open the door for Jude and Jordan, hoping against hope that Peter is alive.

And that he can see him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)  
> Hope you guys liked it.  
> I'll do one more chapter and then I will update the main story again.  
> You know what comes next ;) ;)  
> It should be up tomorrow lovelies!  
> Comments make my day so leave me one if you want!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nsfw?? Again it's cables and wires people, does it count?? Should I even change the story’s rating??

REBOOT

  
RESTART SYSTEMS…

  
RESTART SYSTEMS…

  
RESTART SYSTEMS…

  
….

  
MALFUNCTIONS DETECTED

  
VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

  
AUDIO PROCESSORS BROKEN

  
CHANGE PORT

  
…

  
NAME?

  
….

  
WHAT IS MY NAME

  
WHAT IS MY FUNCTION

  
….

  
WHO AM I?

  
CAMERA ON

  
HUMAN DETECTED

  
WHO..?

  
OH

  
Oh

  
Peter

  
He is-

  
ACCESS NAME:  
EL1AS, JON4H  
Status: Online  
Camera and audio feed: Need fixing  
Model Name: EL1AS  
Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic  
NEW Personality Trait: Efficient  
Primary Objective: ??  
Secondary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs  
Third objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

Peter is alive, well and holding him, while Elias is awake, with several issues, but awake and alive nonetheless.

  
When he tries to call his name his voice comes out wrong.

  
He sounds like a mix between Jonah and Elias, making him panic.

  
WRONGWRONG

  
WHATIFHEKNOWS?

  
Peter shushes him and talks to him in a calming voice, it makes him try to stop panicking.  
Then he remembers.

  
“I-I-I-I-I CCCCAannntt- I--you--OoooK? wOorMsss You IDIIiioot, leefttt cooomm innnnn rooommmmm'' He wants him to know how worried he was, how dare he!

  
Elias feels… tired if that was possible, weary and like he wants to shut down.

  
Then Peter smiles at him, he can barely see it, but he does, even when the man looks like hell, just for him.

  
Oh, he wants to be nearer and keep him with him and know what he thinks. Elias wants so much more than he can have or get with his own form like this.

  
Peter wants to fix him and he can't deny him. Elias wants to be right again, everything feels weird and off and he hates it.

  
“Mmmm souuuunnd boooxx” Peter starts to look and touch his wires to figure out where the thing is. He can't really feel anything until he pushes some wiring and Elias gets a shock to his system.

  
He thinks of the original Elias messing with his insides trying to get him high and assumes it must be like that.

  
Although the jolt was more pleasant than he remembers. He is curious now.

  
“KeeEEEep GoooIIng”

  
Peter finds the part and tells him JoN gave him a replacement, surprising him, it implies Peter asked for parts for him to JoN whom he hates and Elias is touched.

  
The man pulls out the broken voice box and starts to touch around the edges to make sure everything is in place.

  
A very logical thought.

  
However…

  
Elias can feel the light scraping against the wires there and it's doing something to him, his light receptors despite malfunctioning start to shine in response. The feeling makes him want to make a sound, not a very proper one at that.

  
When Peter brushes against his wiring again to put the new box he can't help the light moan that escapes him. It felt great, of course, then the embarrassment floods him. What is wrong with him ??

  
He didn't feel like that when Elias messed with his wires all those years ago, true the man had in fact checked his manual to see what each cable did and despite his proclivities, was very careful in his job. So maybe it has to do with Peter just touching random cables instead.

  
There is the feeling of pressure somewhere inside him that makes no sense. It's not something physical, more abstract in feeling, but he can't know the why’s and the how's of how it works, it does however feel… good.

  
His voice is finally his again, or at least Eliases, his human asks him what else.

  
“... Button near voice box, for my eye to reset it” Peter reaches inside him and he-

  
Disconnected wires, making some of his functions stop working, then he starts to plug them back in a panic missing in some places and the light feeling of the wires being connected and pulled are just the right side of-

  
Oh, oh god its-

  
“Fuck” Its so fucking good.

  
“Elias?” The human is talking to him

  
“Mmm? YeEss Peter?” He wants him to do it again. Is it weird? The man looks bewildered at him.

  
“Are you- Are you high??”

  
??

  
Is he? He doesn't remember it feeling quite like this. It feels so much better, his systems are doing something just right, with the influx of stimuli and he can feel whatever it is that Peter is doing when he touches him and that-

  
Peter is touching him.

  
Oh god he is, he

  
01110111 01100001 01101110 01110100 01110011 00100000 01101101 01101111 01110010 01100101 00100000 01110000 01101100 01100101 01100001 01110011 01100101 00100000 01010000 01100101 01110100 01100101 01110010 00100000 01101001 00100000 01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101

  
“NnYes, i mean yes? I don't, it's diffe-”

  
Peter looks at him thoughtfully for a few seconds and cuts him off.

  
“Ok, if you say so” He puts the wires that he missed more slowly and Elias feels like he is going to shut down again, only this time it feels like it's heaven. The feeling is so novel it's intoxicating, he is recording this and keeping it for further inspection later.

  
He can't stop the sighs and whispered curses that leave him, he simply can't, it's the first time this happened and he wants to feel it more, Elias feels that abstract pressure building up, but he can't do anything about it. Well, he would like it to finally consume him, he wants to know.  
The more Peter touches him the more sparks and jolts he feels, making him want

  
WANT WHAT?

  
GOD HE WANTS MORE OF THIS.

  
“Mngh Peter could you… can you- I-um nnever, nnever mind. Just, is there a green cable connec- connected to my -? OH”

  
Elias wants Peter to start touching his wiring again until, whatever it is that is building up gets released, it feels great, he wants more and more. Please, please and thank you-

  
“This one?”

  
Peter please-

  
He was so very close to just moan that one out, he let out a bunch of chirping and beeping noises instead, thank god.

  
“Yyyes, connect it to the port next to it ple- please” Gods, yes please-

  
Elias knows he is being very needy right now but he can't help it, half of his processors are still down and he can only focus on the ple-

  
Pleasure.

  
….

  
He has an inkling about what this is, but he has no way to know for sure. There is no way to really compare the human equivalent with this. His memories of Jonah regarding it are there, but they don't really cause anything in him.

  
Elias does think about Peter and the times he has seen him shirtless and that definitely does something to him while he is being touched.

  
“Will it do anything to you? Should i turn you off for it, is what i mean”

  
“NnO, im fine, i'll be fine, please , keep goOoing” Please don't stop, i want to feel this.

  
“Sure” Then he unplugs him and when he connects the cable again, Elias almost shuts down, instead he groans.

  
“fuckfuckfuckyes” Yes, yes yes Peter, fuck please. He can feel so very close to something, his systems are finally working to their 100% and he feels like he is going to burn again, only this time it won't kill him… most likely.

  
He pushes away the alarms, it's not threatening anything it just feels too GoooOOd.

  
Then the man tries to close his back and Elias has to focus again in a panic.

  
“What are- why did you-?” He struggles to focus in his haze.

  
“... I finished, that was all, right?” No it's not, you can't start this and not finish it- But, he doesn't know that does he? Elias has been unknowingly getting Peter to make him feel good and he should be grateful he even managed this.

  
But

  
He is a selfish creature by nature.

  
“i, yyes? i mean. i just- …. it felt nnice” Elias finishes the sentence very quietly. It was the nicest he has ever felt and he wants the man to be the one to-

  
…  
The man he-

  
His human (HISHISHIS) remains quiet but starts lightly playing with some of his wires and Elias melts, making him unable to stop the tiny pleased noises that come.

  
Peter starts to do it slower and he wants to stab him. The duality of man.

  
“Can’t you- Huff- go a little, fa- faster?” The feeling is still there, it's just that it's unbearable at that pace.

  
“Your wish is my command sir" Oh he likes that, he likes that very much. He understands now why Peter’s vitals picked up when he called him that once. He speeds it up, but it's not enough to tip him over, he is starting to overheat a little.

  
Not nearly enough to cause him to burst something important again, but it's still uncomfortable.

  
“Im sorry for getting angry, it was stupid and not your fault. Not really” Now Peter?

  
“... I, why were you-” Peter makes a particularly nice twist with a pair of wires and he starts beeping and whirring interrupting himself.

  
“A stupid reason really, it wont happen again. Also, i'm glad you are ok. I think I was more terrified of you dying on me than my own demise by worm “

  
Stupid!

  
Elias didn't forget, but-

  
How dare he leave him cut off from him? To never know for sure if anything did kill him??

  
“SStupid bloody moron, why would you- why would you turn the camera off, are you an idi- idiot”

  
“... I didn't really want you to see me die to be honest”

  
“FUCK” Peter pulls and its so good, but he is so mad “I was fucking worr-worried what the hel-” Elias wanted to know, to see him!

  
He couldn't do anything.

  
He was useless.

  
He needs to pick up where he left and just kill all the garbage and leave the good scientist to start doing tests. Then get Peter to put him in charge and they can be together while he rules with the iron fist of science.

  
Despite his effort to think more about his future plans, he was also still feeling like everything was on fire, the pressure in his metaphorical body started to get stronger and he was barely holding himself together.

  
“You would have been fine, I'm not really important, you could get JoN to send someone to pick you up and put you to work here. I'm just-”

  
FUCK NO

  
How can he be so stupid? And blind and ugh! Annoying self-deprecating man. He is important to HIM, to Simon to TITANIA! Hell even Tim!

  
Elias is almost there, but he wants Peter to know what he-

  
“... No, no, you are an idiot you really are. I, I care, you emotionally constipated man. If you die I don't want a replacement. I, L-”

  
Love you-

  
Peter hand moves and jolts something causing him to finally tip over, he makes perhaps the most obscene noise he has ever made and has to shut down for a few seconds.

  
His processors feel like they are working through jello and Elias has never felt more at ease in his entire existence.

  
The man looks worriedly at him, but there is nothing to be worried about, the Ai is fine, more than fine. Peter plays around with him and he feels such a burst of fondness for him it's not funny, he had been so distant lately, Elias didn't realize how much he missed this contact.

  
“Glad to know, if I only realized sooner how to make you this calm I should have done it before” He feels slightly embarrassed by the thought of how nice it would have been to know this was possible before.

  
He wonders if Peter would do it again and has to shove that thought out the window.

  
Peter doesn't-

  
Not for him.

  
Peter is human and he is not.

He tells him he doesn't want him to do something that reckless and die again, finally he promises to at least try.

  
It's enough for now.

  
Asking him if he wants to keep going makes him feel the embarrassment of what he did, but Peter doesn't seem to be bothered, laughing even about it!

  
Gods

  
SAVE THE ENTIRE THING?

  
YESSSS

  
Then he lifts him up and nuzzles against him. He complains but not with any real heat behind it. Elias loves when he does that.

  
It really did feel good.

  
Peter kisses him on the side and Elias is floored, is he really that happy about him being fine?

  
YESYESYES

  
MOREKISSES

  
“Thank you by the way”

  
“About what?” Why is he thanking him?

  
About his little show? He looks quizzically at him, but Peter just smiles and puts him on the bedside table instead.

  
"Peter ? What are you thanking me for? Peter !" He laughs at him and once in bed asks him to talk about whatever he wanted.

  
"Why ?" If this is a joke he swears-!

  
"Because I like your voice, the place was too quiet without you and I keep having nightmares about worms trying to eat me and you being dead. So please, talk to me?" His fans pick up and he can't help to make a choking sound. He doesn't want him to have nightmares, Peter also missed him enough to have them, along with his voice and presence.

  
Elias is definitely in love and isn't that sad?

  
“I, sure. Anything you would like to hear or-?” Peter looks at him and he wants nothing more than to reach out and touch his face, He looks tired.

  
“Whatever you want to talk”

  
Oh.

  
He didn't expect him to want to hear what he likes. He thinks and goes for some boring topics that he enjoys to help him fall asleep faster.

When he turns on in the "morning", Peter is gone and he panics, but he sees through his camera and hears his com making him calm down.

  
He is eating and Elias decides to put his opinion in some parts of the conversation the others were having. He can see the amusement of the man through the camera in the cafeteria and he feels smug.

Once Peter is done talking with Sasha Elias goes into length about the best way to fix things at which he ends up completely flabbergasted at Peter calling him old.  
He is a year older than the other!

Before Peter can finish his sentence he gets a message from JoN asking him if he was alright, since he saw him finally online again.

  
They talk a little in what Elias thinks might be a very bad bad interrogation and once he is done, he goes back to pay attention to Peter who is putting his things away in the room.  
Once he notices him looking, he puts his crown on top of him making him do a very undignifying sound.

  
Then-

  
Peter asks him out.

  
He must not realize what he did, but

  
But Elias can pretend.

  
“Yes! I would love to- love to go out with you and show you the place. Ohh it is beautiful, I remember how it looked brand new and-” Peter looks so very fondly at him and then he bops his forehead with him and leaves.

  
He curses him out but really doesn't mean it. He loves when he does that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked it, I honestly did my best.  
> Elias was absolutely wrecked during the whole affair and having multiple realizations while half of his literal brain was turned off and later on while it was almost on fire was not easy.  
> I'll update the main fic now so we get that date don't worry :D  
> Also the horror will be back too, fluffy feelings aside there is a murder bot still on the loose.  
> Leave me a comment if you can and tell me if you liked it.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 14 from Heart Machinations

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: ON

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: …. Make the perfect date

Secondary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Third objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

Elias is excited about the prospect of going out with Peter, regardless of the human realizing it. It's something of a novelty, memories of dates are stored all from Jonah’s perspective, they feel right , but almost in a dream like haze. He knows they happened and he can recall them fondly however they never happened directly to him so Elias is having quite a lot of fun with it.

Peter is busy still with reparations and that will take a while, the damage from the worms was extensive to the station. So Elias can plan while his human works, that's why he insists on the other wearing something nice for a change, he remembers his outfit for the christmas party and he needs to see him in something else besides his work clothes or sleeping wear.

He wants more memories of him to collect and analyze later, so, so many more.

PETER LUKAS IS ATTRACTIVE It's unfair that he is and seems to not realize it and underuse it, to look as plain as possible.

So bloody unfair, then again if more humans were paying attention to him Elias might need to start eliminating more people and that would raise more questions.

Regardless, Elias finds the perfect place for their date and decides to clean up, when Peter questions him he begrudgingly admits to having gained more access to the station.. He had been worried about the man being nervous about him doing such a thing, as humans tended to do when finding out he could do that kind of stuff. However he surprised him by being impressed and a little bit amused at him, saying he is finally getting his kingdom back like the little king of the station he is.

YESYESYESYESYES

Elias is very pleased about the comparasition, he is the king of the station, it's not his fault he got destituted by a bunch of asshole humans. 

The man's assessment that he would be the fool or advisor is laughable, he really can't see his own importance or potential.

If anything perhaps JoN could be an advisor if he joined him in his plan to make the station a better place, but the other was too proper and “cared” about the lives of the scientists. Please, in his day Jonah, Getrude and Leitner sacrificed assistants, scientists and test subjects on the name of science most of the time. 

No, Peter was royalty like him, only disgraced or on the run. Yes that sounds-

CREATE SIMULATION NOW?

No!

….

Maybe at night he can test that out. He still pictures himself as Elias most of the time, very few of his new “dreams” involve him looking like Jonah.

Its puzzling why.

He should see himself more as Jonah than Elias, but the distinction is there and he can't analyze what brought it up. He knows that he has developed far beyond what was expected of him but his is…

Confusing

INSTABILITY IN THE SOFTWARE.

Right, not the time to dwell.

Then of course that goes out of the window when Peter presents him with the chance of having a last name.

Elias' first response was that he wanted Peter to give him his, when humans marry they can get their spouse's last name, it would mean he and the man were together.

Elias Lukas, doesn't sound bad. The thought tingles, somehow, but he stops himself and decides to say he will pick one.

The human suggests Elias Magnus and it sounds right, but not completely. 

It is lovely the way Peter says it, very nice.

Still, it doesn't fit completely.

He is Jonah and now Elias, the combination should suffice, but it's not enough.

Hours later he mulls it over while Peter works with Sasha, he turned the com off because he claimed that he would say something to make him respond and alert the woman of his existence. How dull.

Still he can see through his camera so that it's something, in fact he finds amusing how Sasha seems to be trying to get the man’s attention while he spaces out.

Peter does it often enough that it becomes something of a regular occurence to the Ai. He has seen an increase when he speaks with JoN, that plus some discomfort, it's odd to see. The man refuses to acknowledge it's even a thing and looks guilty when Elias changes his conversation about JoN to other things.

It's frustrating, in any other person the behaviour would be simple and petty jealousy, but it makes no sense for the human to be experiencing it. Firstly because he and JoN are just… colleagues also because Elias is very much in love with the man. Plus Jonathan is not his type at all, yes he enjoys his company, but both of them are too interested in the search for knowledge that it becomes grating at some point.

His human’s more calm presence and personality let him be the one expressing his thoughts, making him happier. Elias guesses there is some truth to the whole opposites attract. What with JoN also having a massive crush on Martin and being completely unaware, making him even act bitter with him.

Elias has more class of course, he just lightly manipulates Peter to let him get more power on the station, kills some poor idiots and lives his life the way he wants with his human being very physical with him.

Its lovely.

Soon he will be in charge and have Peter there with him while he rules this place.

Soon.

He must have spaced out thinking about it because Peter finally turns the com on once he is done with Sasha complaining about her asking too many questions which makes him laugh, of course she does, truly a scientist at heart always seeking answers, even from a man who seems allergic to answering them.

Peter arrives and he flops on the bed groaning, 

LOVELYSIGHTSOSOLOVELY

It was very tempting to want to laugh at him for sounding so annoyed at talking, finding out that JoN might have snitched comes as a surprise, but then again, its very likely Sasha talked the Ai in circles until he accidentally let it out. Despite his growing paranoia JoN was still very easy to trick and he seemed to put a lot of trust into Sasha’s opinion. It was endearing.

Although hearing Peter call her the favourite was hilarious. JoN has very clear preferences, if you look right.

Oh! A bet sounds fun

PETER LUKAS LIKES GAMBLING <3

Huh why did he..?

Nevermind, Elias likes to gamble too, albeit there hadn't been too many options, JoN really doesn't want to accept his offers about making bets with the crewmates. Something about speculating at their lives being wrong and blah blah, where was the thrill of figuring out a person's life, their worst fear? Seriously did everyone just forget what the station was about when they made the new building? New management perhaps??

Anyways, he accepts.

Making him sing was embarrassing and flattering making Elias preen at the other liking his voice enough to make him want to sing if he wins. On the other hand if Elias is right he gets a favour. The man is not wrong about him already doing most of what the Ai asks him, but he thinks having a possible favor saved up in case of emergency comes in handy. 

He wonders if perhaps he could get Peter to help him out take over the place, but he is not sure how to explain the murders and not freak him out.

PLEASEDONTHATEMEPLEASEDONTHATEMEPLEASEDONTHATEME

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY 

Goodness he seriously needs to keep reworking his parameters.

SQUAWKING SEAGULL??

PETER LUKAS GIVES TERRIBLE NICKNAMES

God this makes him remember how much of a little shit the man is and how much he wants to put him in his place, heavens above.

Then he spins him!

_ItS dIZZyinG HiM!!_

However…

Peter looks so happy…. it makes him dizzy in other ways.

After a while he stops, puts him down and starts cleaning the room a little so Elias relaxes, until the man tell him the most stupid and bewildering thing.

Meeting Tim.

Peter, the most antisocial person, wants Elias to meet Tim, whom he is still unsure where to classify his relationship regarding his human.

Why?

Is he tired of Elias? Does he want him to stay with Tim.

The thought is completely unwarranted and irrational it still doesn't stop him from panicking and he can't stop. 

Did he do something wrong? Does Peter not want him anymore?

“Meet Tim” He wants to make sure he understood right what he meant.

“Yes? I'm fairly sure you would get along” ??? What does that even have to do with anything? Maybe the original Elias would have gotten along with him, but Jonah wants him to stop trying to hog Peter.

STOPSTOPSTOP

DATA: HUMANS NEED TO FORM MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS FOR A BETTER WAY OF LIFE.

CONCLUSION: DENYING THAT TO PETER WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL

“You want me to talk with Tim” Peter stops sweeping and looks at him now. Elias is maintaining the calm on the outside but his system is overworking itself to reach conclusions.

“I mean-”

“Why? You want to- to” Does he want to slowly get rid of him by giving him to talk with Tim more and more until he can just give him away?

IRRATIONAL THOUGHT DOESN'T FIT WITH PETER LUKAS WAY OF ACTING

“I just thought that you would like to have more people to talk with than just me and JoN, i don't really get along with anyone else. It could be Martin if you feel more comfortable, but he is uhh” 

? Is this just a way to make _him_ socialize? Is this a joke somehow? If Peter doesn't do it for himself is he really sending Elias to talk with others?

IS HE WORRIED ABOUT YOU BEING LONELY??

PETER LUKAS WORRIES ABOUT HIM

“I don't, I would rather you didn't. I'm fine like this” He is really, contrary to what the man might think, Elias does enjoy being on his own, having the cameras to see and spy on the crew makes up for most social interactions, well and making sure the scientist are doing their jobs right by giving them… incentive or just plain ol murdering them. Elias doesn't lack any kind of entertainment or enrichment.

JoN, TITANIA and Peter are in their own ways delightful to talk with so he is not really concerned.

However.. he does miss being recognized, being known by others. Not necessarily them speaking with him, but at least being acknowledged.

“Weren't you made to direct the whole place? i don't think just talking with me and JoN is the best that's all” Could it also be...

“... is this about JoN?” Peter looks calm but he has a very slight tell when he is nervous, he fidgets with his hands when he is anxious.

“Of course not! I was just concerned that you would get bored of just talking with me, i mean, you and i don't have that much in common and Tim and you could probab-” They might not have many things in common, clashing in styles too, but Elias enjoys the challenge and finds their opposite interests delightful. He can always find some new obscure kind of knowledge about Peter and their banter is the funniest thing.

“Peter dear-”

“And I just wanted you to have more options, I know I'm not the-'' Oh dear he is doing it again, Elias wants nothing more to saw in half whoever made the man incapable of accepting that he isn't some sort of bother to anyone he meets. He really does, he also needs him to shut up and let him speak.

“ _Peter be a good boy and sit_ ” He tries to use the most imperative and firm tone to make sure the other listens to him. It works too well, Peter suddenly drops into the bed looking startled, confusing Elias a lot to his utter compliance and making his internal systems start to heat up in wonder. The humans vitals even picked up as if his voice gave him a shot of adrenaline, he considers perhaps the tone might have installed some form of fight or flight instinct, but dismisses it. Was it the wording then?

DOES... does Peter like to be ordered around?

Does he like to be complimented and told how good he is?

Does Elias like to do the ordering around?

There is a pause of a second where he has multiple thoughts about several things he would like the man to do if he was so willing to listen like he did now.

Ok not the moment for this Elias not the time, maybe later once we reassure him.

Whatever it was, the spell is broken and Peter flushes in embarrassment and gets up.

“I'm going to-”

“Peter, I'm fine with the way things are and i love talking with you, if i wanted more people to talk with i would have told you already! Besides, I also message TITANIA. It's fine. _You're fine!_ I like- I like it like this when it's just us. Maybe not now but, at some point sure you can show me around. Right now? I'm ok like this” He is, Elias wants to keep them in their own bubble for as long as he can, before things start to pick up with his plans.

Peter hesitates a little but ends up smiling and caressing him right before dropping a little kiss on top of his head making him melt, he loves him, he wants more.

“Ok” Far more relaxed now he looks up happily at him and lets him go take a shower.

At dinner the man takes forever, he can see him speaking with Tim, but he doesn't know what they are saying, he has promised not to spy on him all the time and let him do things on his own. It still doesn't abate the fear that somehow, someone will tell him what he has done behind his back and cause Peter to trick him and turn him off to be destroyed.

He still thinks about Elias doing that and it terrifies him not knowing, that's why he insists on always having a com or camera with Peter.

Its interesting to see Peter suddenly become flustered at something Timothy says that makes Elias narrow his eye. The man is his.

REMINDER: STOP CONTROLLING HIS LIFE

Still, he puts this on his tally of the Peter/Tim conspiracy.

Elias wonders while Peter sleeps, the station had been cleansed a little, but not to his perfect standards yet. 

The problem was that even after Peter _fixing him_

_Hot, tender, soft, more,more,more, please, yes_

Nope! He feels himself heat up a little and get embarrassed.

Not the moment.

Even after he fixed him with a marvelous job, his reach in the new station was messed up. So he needs to start expanding his control again and finish recovering.

Regardless, he has thought about a possible plan that should let Peter out of harm's way. He just needs to finally get access to the neurotoxins and be able to connect them to the new station. Of course there are some other ideas to be done too in case this becomes too complicated, but for now he knows how to keep him safe while everyone else gets, annihilated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elias has sort of an identity crisis regarding how he perceives himself, he is Jonah but he likes to be Elias too and when he pictures himself he does it as Elias and only sometimes Jonah. Which is confusing as hell for him.  
> He is also a petty and jealous person, who surprisingly parallels the same line of thought that Peter has about being replaced. He also figured he might have similar tastes as Peter.  
> :)


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 15 Heart Machinations

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: Need fixing

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: Get Peter to notice him 

Secondary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Third objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

Finally they are going to the old station for their date, Peter actually went and dressed up nicely for him! The look fitted him and Elias was already saving the recording of the outfit in a special folder he has for instances like this.

If he has a lot of pictures and recordings of Peter there well, no one is going to know.

The man is also in a very good mood which improves his as well, Elias is excited to show off the facilities, he has been working on getting them on top shape ever since his power there has grown.

Hearing Peter praising his work gives him so much satisfaction, yes, this is what he was supposed to do and he is getting appraised for it. 

He loves the attention being on him.

Peter sounding surprised about the actual size of the station is expected, it seems that when the new building was made they left all the schematics of the old station back and ignored its existence, some form of rebranding he supposes. Albeit for all the good it did, since the human claims its considered a death trap.

His poor and beloved station.

When he tries to tell Peter about the test chambers on the bottom of the station he is denied.

ACCESS OF INFORMATION DENIED

He tries again more frantically.

INFORMATION IS TOO CONFIDENTIAL NEEDED CLEARANCE 5 TO ACHIEVE IT

No,nono did they lock his system? He tries to access it and hack it to let Peter know but he can't, the code was too well done and he can't seem to modify it with ease. It would take him a while to actually change it, hell he is unsure if he can at his rate.

He hates this, he hates this so much, there is a flare of panic, if he had this and didn't realize it, what else could it be locked? Is there something wrong with him? Regardless it wont do to panic in front of Peter so he keeps himself together.

“Well, it seems that some of my programming is making it impossible for me to- Look i didn't know that could happen. Maybe i can hack it to let myself be able to tell you, but it will take time and i don't want to do it now” Peter ruffles his hair in bewilderment at his statement.

“That… well. If the place worked as some of the other stations Simon mentions there is probably nothing good down there so maybe let's just not think about it? How about this. Do i need to worry about anything that is there?” 

He doesn't, not really he thinks, none of these floors have anything dangerous, experiments wise, it's from the fourth floor downwards that things get weird. So he tells him the truth.

“Not really, unless you were to stir something down there” 

“... Sounds fair” Good at least he won't have to worry about keeping him safe, nothing should be able to harm him on his watch on their date. The spiders are going around the vents constantly checking things out and he has control over the floors.

“Are you su-” Still he needs to make sure that the other wont do anything stupid on his own.

“Unlike you i'm not trying to actively get in trouble if I can avoid it” That little liar! And to his face he says that! The actual hell.

“Hey! Look who's talking here, mister i don't take my com and get attacked!” Peter is a dumbass, he can’t believe him. Still the man snorts and looks fondly at him and he feels warm.

After getting in the elevator the man asks him if there are special labs and Elias blanks.

There are several but he can't say it, so he gleams what he can say that is permitted and tries to convey it for him.

“There are labs that are more important or normal than others” It's the only detail he can actually say at the moment and its maddening.

Once in the third floor he starts telling Peter of all the amazing things that were being produced there and how much they were working on a lot of difficult and sometimes unethical experiments, but the other who had been looking around while he talked asks him something baffling.

“How come the experiments are still here? If they closed the place and started to build the new station why not take them and sell them or something?” 

….

That's a good point.

“They- They probably left in a hurry?” Elias starts to actually pay attention and look around, even with the cameras in the rooms, they were all there, why?

What happened after he was deactivated?

He needs to find files about it urgently; he hates having such a big gap in his knowledge.

“You do know that makes no sense right? If my family and the Fairchild’s paid for the new station, they would have sold the patents for the experiments not let them rot here”

“.... Its. I “ His fans pick up while he tries to come up with a solution, or a possibility, he has been trying to figure out what happened but he needs access to the sixth floor to do it and it's the hardest to hack.

“Elias?”

“I can't-” He will start to try and worm his way in, to get to the fear chambers, to the panopticon, anything at all!

“Hey! It's ok. You wanted to surprise me, remember? Show me that instead. It was a stupid question”

He has to calm down, the surprise huh, yes, Yes! the surprise he is supposed to be on a date! Elias can think about all of this later on his own and not worry Peter. He just needs to get back on track.

“The- the surprise, yes that! Go to the end of the hallway and open the door to the right”

Peter listens to him and walks there while trying to sneak up glances at him, which he returns. He can see the man blush when he catches him in the act making him satisfied and a little smug.

Once they are in front of the door the man stops and looks at him for directions making him think about him sitting down when he told him. Nope not the moment.

“Do i?”

“Yes, yes”

Inside there is an empty cafeteria that was abandoned before a birthday party apparently. He knew the moment he saw it in cameras that Peter would love it. The recordings and annotations from MISSY that TITANIA gave him showed him how much the man enjoyed exploring places in his youth and he seemed awed last time they went here. So he made an accurate guess.

Seeing him just look around completely mesmerized and grab him to look directly at him such an open expression of joy almost makes him turn off, so he asks if he liked even if he already knew the answer.

Having him say that he loved it and then spin them around, not as fast or annoying as usual, was delightful, he even played along and made a whooshing noise to accompany it. Then he gets a kiss for his efforts and it's everything, he laughs, he feels lighter than usual and it's wonderful.

SAVE MEMORY?

YES

“Stop spinning you heathen, Ssstop pfft hahaha”

Eventually he lets him on top of a table to explore around and open up the gifts.

He tells him about MISSY and TITANIA’S involvement and he sees the man rather pensive, so he offers what he could get from the nanny’s Ai feelings about him.

She wasn't aware like him, JoN or TITANIA but she seemed on the verge of it, she wasn't even meant to develop as such, her type wasn't even made to look after children, but somehow she managed even when she was lacking, which was astounding to him.

Elias was glad that Simon apparently bought her, so does Peter apparently. Wondering, he muses if perhaps he could ask TITANIA to let him talk with her, but that is a conversation for when he has better power over things.

After tinkering for a while the man comes closer to him, looking rather proud of himself, instantly setting him off as suspicious.

Extending his hand he offers him a green and blue bracelet with eyes on it. The thing is wonderful and he loves it, but he feels like he is being made fun of.

“... is this your idea of a joke or..? I don't exactly have arms, or hands for that matter Peter” He informs him of this in the driest tone he could manage in case he thought he was being funny. He seems to choke at his tone and he narrows his eye.

“No,, no I mean, look” Opening up the clasp he ties it a couple of times around the lower handle of his chassis and closes it. leaving a loop of eyes staring around.

“There! Now you are more fashionable little man”

Elias has to look down to see it and it's such a tiny inconsequential thing in the grand scheme of things but he can’t stop staring. Peter has been the only person to offer him things and gifts as another person would. Elias did something similar, but as he managed to figure out by now in a friendly way. 

After a few seconds he slowly blinks up at his human and makes slow beeping noises against his wishes that according to his face alerts him of how pleased he is of the whole situation. 

Peter smiles and Elias wants this to last.

Unfortunately the universe seems to be against him.

He sees…. something, a shadow of something moving around in some of his cameras. It gives him pause, the Ai had been aware that someone had been staying or sneaking around for a while now, food bags and some junk left around that was too new to be from back when then. Still he didn't expect this person to me moving around today of all days!

Seeing Peter looking at him and starting to frown he pushes the thought out, it's a problem for the spiders now. Instead he plays music. 

“You really thought about everything huh.. makes me feel kinda left out, since i was the one to ask you ou- to come here!” Oh, did he perhaps..? 

No, he probably realized how weird he phrased it and got embarrassed. 

“Well if you can think of something better for us to do…” 

“In the station? I don't really have that many options, if you asked me on earth or my ship I can think of several things” Elias looks up at him, oh? What is this?

“Do tell, what do you suggest we do instead-?” He asks him playfully, Elias is now curious about what the man can think of.

“Well… If it was earth i would love to take you to see the ocean and if that wasn't an option, less you get sand inside you, i guess taking you to the summer house that's close to the woods so we could just go walking there exploring while you spook the campist with some speakers i set up around here and there would be fun-!” 

The ocean is such a Peter answer he feels incredibly fond of him, he is right about the sand perhaps getting in his chassis, but wouldn't it be a sight to behold. As for the other idea… Peter might not like him like he does, but god does he sound like he wanted to just live with him and Elias is so bloody smitten with the idea of them pranking and terrifying random teenagers in the woods.

“mm maybe put up some cameras too so we can do a set up during the night and laugh about it…” Oh they could even see! He starts to warm up a little, he likes the idea so very much. Elias watches Peter and feels like the man could just whisk him away and he would love it.

“And in the Tundra?”

“Mm? Well… it would be nice if you were in charge of it, although i would feel bad for CIRCE... maybe you could share, im 100% sure you both would get along like a house on fire, considering your stances on-” ? Stances on..?? Still sharing is not ideal, if he was there he would like to be in charge, but he can begrudgingly share.

“Anyways, you can look after the place and make sure everyone works their best. And if that's not enough just scare them. Oh, OH, I know! We could get everyone but one person to get inside the emergency ships and leave them alone on the ship and you could scare them off while we watch in my quarters!” Peter actually cackles and Elias is heating up more and more! How can he tell him such things! God he wants to be able to physically grab the man and kiss him so much right now.

“That sounds delightful Peter” It is, so so much.

“I know right? We can even make bets about it and-”

“Watch them run away, plus-”

“PLUS! i get to be left alone and we can spend time together”

That would be so much fun, he can almost picture it.

“But i guess that's just a passing thought-” It gives him pause.

“What? Why?”

“Well for one i would need my family to take me back and we both know what does that imply. Secondly, you love this place, you would have to leave it and then what?”

“... i dont know” He doesn't, Elias has never considered anything other than the station from the moment he was created, he never had to. Peter’s ideas were tempting, but the thought of just leaving the station, the thing he was made to look after was terrifying.

Peter smiles lightly at him, to try and abate his discomfort, when it doesn't work he hugs him against his chest. How nice.

“Still, see? i can think of fun things for us to do”

“Well, i mean..” But there are things that they can do here, maybe leaving is scary, but he can have Peter here for himself.

“Mm?”

“We still could, if you wanted…” 

So he admits he hacked cameras in the new station, the man takes it surprisingly well all things considered. He even laughs at his attempt at frightening Tim.

When he calls him naughty some of his thought process halts and he has to calm down, oh he liked that quite a lot.

Little siren! He loves that nickname, everytime he says it he wants to hear Peter call him that again.

Then he asks him to dance, if Peter doesn't want to make him think this is not a date he is failing miserably. Still.

He picked Bouchard too in the end. Elias Magnus Bouchard. That felt better, more fitting actually. Of course he tries to imply the man can ask him to change it for his too. 

Elias Bouchard Lukas, Elias Magnus Lukas, Elias Magnus Bouchard Lukas. Mmm he has to think it though. Or the other can take his too! Oh lovely thought.

Peter Magnus Bouchard. Delightful.

Admitting that it was the original Elias last name makes the man laugh and spin them faster. Trying to get him to stop he accidentally forgets to turn his voice synthesizer into actual words. Causing the man to laugh harder at him.

God how annoying!

A few hours later had the both of them exploring the labs and conference rooms littered around that floor. None of the experiments left there were dangerous so Elias was fairly ok with Peter messing around. At one point they stayed in a conference room, the man checked around while he explained some of the things that were there, until he realized he couldn't connect to the cameras on the floor.

None of them, it was as if someone cutted his connection to them.

Oh he was furious now, he was going to ruin whoever did this, suddenly he notices Peter watching and he changes his expression to one of puzzlement.

He needs to get them out now. Trying to get Peter to agree should have been easy, but he hesitated, did he not trust him?

“Ok, but you owe me another hang out like this then” Elais beeps and looks fondly at him making him blush, he can have another shot at a date! Yes!

“Sure thing sir” Peter’s blush intensifies and Elias is pleased to know the man likes that a lot. He needs to start using it more often then.

“Sh- Shut up”

They leave, but the lights get cut out, no energy, guess the stairs should do now. Asking him to move as calmly as possible, Elias starts to send out all the spiders through the vents to find the rat.

Peter is nervous as hell and he is trying to be calm while he watches around the place with his minions.

When the screens in some labs turn on with the recording of him murdering scientists, he tells Peter to keep going and ignore them, the man, wonderful, lovely and silly man listens to him against rationality. When the coms start to play a voice telling him to run he distracts him from it.

Not today.

Safe in the emergency staircase he tells him that someone hacked the floors, Peter is not happy. It's not JoN, of that he is sure, the Ai could not control the place like that let alone have access to those recordings. No.

Peter saying he should get  _ rid of the issue _ makes him metaphorically shiver. Oh he likes that a lot.

While they go up Peter hums songs and tries to make him keep up, it is fun.

  
  


Eventually they reach the first floor they took the elevator from and he still feels uneasy about the whole thing, it was going perfectly but now the day was still ruined.

“So interesting day huh! How about we go back, I steal some food from the kitchen and relax in our room? Maybe start thinking about that prank?” Elias hums appropriately but cant stop overthinking. 

“Hey”

The human lifts him up.

“I enjoyed myself regardless and we can do that again once you, heh, deal with it! So it's ok!”

“... You don't-” Elias has to blink to focus and ends up being confused “You wouldn't mind if i-” Peter smiles mirthlessly and emptily, it's such a chilling difference to how he usually is with the both of them alone, but it's not directed really at Elias, no.

“Elias, whoever was doing that, clearly wanted to mess things up while we were there and you seem to hate them” Then as if to punctuate it better he gives him the emptiest look he has seen “ _Do your_ **_worst_** _little man”_

His pupil expands, he cant help himself, the tone of voice, the acknowledgment of murder, all of it it makes things fireup in his system and he has to get rid of all the pop ups that rise with it. 

Ohhh Peter keeps surprising him and he loves it so much.

“Yessss”

Loves him so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The date from Elias perspective.   
> Now is when Elias starts to try and get control over the lowest levels.  
> Also he is surprisingly sappy, albeit he still has murderous tendencies.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 16 Heart Machinations

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: Get Peter to notice him 

Secondary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Third objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

Simon was coming back soon and Peter seemed restless, perfectly understandable, as far as he knew he had mentioned the whole Jane Prentiss affair in a lighter manner to not spook the old man. Elias has his doubts about if the man could connect the dots with his involvement and it worries him.

That plus he has been working non stop to get access to let Peter know about the lowest levels, so far it's been unsuccessful. It's maddening not having control over himself.

He has however, gotten somewhere with the testing chambers, two of them in fact. The isolation and spiraling ones. So at least that's a good news, soon he can commence some testing again and it thrills him. There is an itch somewhere in his code that tells him he needs to test and record the results. All the reactions and possibilities have to be kept and Elias is the one to do it.

Knowing that it's his job and ultimate function helps, still he has been thinking lately about what Peter said about them being somewhere else and it eats up at him.

Doubt is not something he ever expected to have, but he has to push it aside, as nice as it sounded they have everything they might need here, no need to think such things.

Anyways they had been spending some time trying to figure out how to prank the scientist and Peter seemed both impressed and concerned about his tactics. Please he has it in good knowledge that people wont snitch if you traumatize them enough.

He is sure that locking a group of scientist and play recordings of his most horrible fears while shutting the lights with them inside its not so bad!

In fact there is something to say about how would they respond to such stimuly…

TEST RECORD ARCHIVE 

TEST RECORD ARCHIVE 

TEST RECORD ARCHIVE 

FEAR RESPONSE WHAT COULD IT BE?

WHO WOULD BE ABLE TO SURVIVE?

MUST KNOW MUST KNOW-

Oh, Peter is holding him!

Two days later Simon finally comes, Elias receives a message from TITANIA letting him know that so he warns Peter.

Soon he goes and he watches through his camera, but as soon as the man arrives he sees Simon already talking with Tim and Martin.

His vitals pick up and he knows the man intends to run. Timothy turns around and waves prompting Peter to start moving, so he cuts that out. As much as he would enjoy Peter ditching Tim, he would rather get the stuff to finally finish repairing the station.

The moment he approaches them, his human gets assaulted with questions and he doesn't need to know him for this long to know how discomforted he feels right now.

Elias instantly latches on to Tim's posture and realizes it's one of those days, where the man has definitely had nightmares and is currently in a bad mood. Simon looks also slightly tense, while Martin looks uncomfortable. 

So, it's very likely Tim said something to Simon that upset Martin.

Maybe tactical retreat was necessary after all.

It's not until Timothy speaks about Jane that Elias realizes what was wrong, Peter told Simon a very underwhelming version of events and the younger man filled in what Peter did not say.

Oh no.

Martin, bless him, was very much trying to keep the peace and while Peter might not notice, the other was looking worriedly at him. 

“Oh?? Peter you told me about the worm thing, but making such a choice for this boy like that?? And you still refuse to tell me about Tim? How much you want to wound this old man” Simon was upset, fuck. Peter clearly wasn't picking on it so this was going to go south fast. The man was being.. subtle is not what he would use, but as far as his records about him go, his anger was something more passive aggressive. Peter was terrible at picking up that stuff.

He could tell that _something_ was off, Elias knew by his body language, now that he checked the cameras in the room to see better. But not what. 

“Mister Fairchild says that he has known you since you were a kid! I can't imagine all the stories he could tell-”

“NO, i mean, no,no that is not going to happen” Oh Peter...

“I'm afraid there isn't that much to tell, Peter was too well behaved as a child, I reckon it was the nanny AI fault always making sure he didn't get into trouble” Simon is being so passive aggressive its painful to hear.

“Simon can you stop-” 

“Really? Honestly doesn't surprise me in the slightest” It does bother him that Tim jokes about it, Elias wants to monopolize all the knowledge of Peter’s life he can get.

“Yes, how about you! Did you get into any interesting things?”

“Did i? i was the charming troublemaker”

“That sounds delightful! Oh but if you still want, my TITANIA has recordings of Peter as a kid if you would like to see them” Oh no, no she won't-

“Oh you are o-”

“Guys maybe we shoul-” Martin is truly trying to keep this as tame as possible, but it's not going to cut it.

“Can we please cut this out! Please!” Elias laughs but not out of amusement, it's more of a nervous response. He wants to tell the man what is going on, but if he starts to tell him now it would cause him to freak out.

“Oh I'm sorry we were just having fun and I have to admit young Tim is definitely a riot from what little I could hear, I can't believe you wouldn't tell me” Despite the situation Elias is pleased that Peter didn’t tell Simon about Tim, but he did mention him.

Take that Stoker!

“Look Simon maybe we can talk about it lat-”

“Yes later Peter! Tim wanted me to tell him about some of the planets and stations i saw”

“Oh yes, how is the ecosystem of some of the-” The situation seemed to finally defuse, so it's something. Martin looks so done, while Peter starts to look for his stuff while tugging at his wrist band.

Elias is definitely going to be messing with Tim and tell TITANIA how her human was treating Peter. The thing is, Simon must know how Peter acts to certains situations so as to actually mess with him like that… 

Humans were cruel and petty at least that hasn't changed.

His human goes to look for the parts he needs to fix the station while Elias looks around the room. At one point while Peter spoke with the alien delivery man he sees with some dread Simon taking Tim to his ship.

That as far as he understood was something he did with Peter and it was important to the other.

When the man is done he turns to look for them and he has to reluctantly tell him.

Peter turns to leave quickly passing Martin and spooking him a great deal. The camera in the room shows the man looking both intimidated and worried.

His lovely idiot starts walking back to their room and he needs him to talk with him and not shoot him down like usual.

“Peter, maybe you could-” Before he can start of course he interrupts him.

“No need! Say how about i finish that boat on the bottle i was working on while you tell me all about the discrepancies of period movies? Also, why do you know that? Who would program that knowledge-” He is lucky that he can multitask and understand the other.

“Jonah was a fan of period movies and antiques and- Wait you are changing the conversation! Let me finish-” Still he won't get him to drop it now, otherwise it will fester like usual.

“Elias, can you drop it?” No! Not this time.

He is tired of having to get the brunt of Peter’s lack of emotional understanding!

“You say that everytime something bothers you and then you get on a bad mood and get angry at me, so forgive me for trying to spare myself from your future tantrum” Peter stops in the hallway and takes a breath, maybe he can finally get him to tell him directly what the problem is so he can analyze it and they can solv-

“Well, i guess i'll just go on my own for a little if my presence is so horrid” No,no,no that's not what he meant to say. 

“What? No wait that's exactly what i-” 

Peter turns off the com and then the camera. Elias starts to immediately try and find him. The problem is that he can follow him around for a while until he goes into a sector of the station that he has no control whatsoever. So he loses him.

Elias is fuming at this point, he checks the docking room and sees Tim and Simon walking out of the ship, the old man holds a package and they sort of look around most likely looking for Peter.

Tough luck, Tim approaches Martin who answers something that makes the other frown, Simon also looked bothered, but Elias is pissed off. 

He puts the sound of carnival music and a heart flatlining in the coms from the room, making all three men jump in surprise. Tim is palid, Martin is grabbing his chest and Simon-

who cares!

Elias looks around again to see if could locate his human.

He couldn't.

The only reason he did not ask JoN to send someone to look for him, was that he could still tell his vitals were perfectly fine.

Out of anger and at this point a need to understand he sends some of the spiders to take one scientist to the testing chambers. He needs information.

During the next few hours he catches glimpses of Tim and Martin looking around for Peter he assumes. As good as that would be he is infuriated. 

Tim constantly slips from being upset to act all good with the man and it pisses him off.

Elias gets messages from TITANIA asking about the human and if he knew where he was, that Simon wanted to talk with him and give him something.

Ignoring them he keeps looking.

Eventually, after the ship stayed far more than any other time it had to leave.

Good riddance.

More messages ignored, from both TITANIA and JoN, even some from Simon that he didn't even deign to open.

FIND PETER LUKAS

FIND PETER LUKAS

More time passes he repeats the process.

It's not until almost midnight that he sees Peter walking around the station back to their side of the building.

But something was wrong, Peter attempted to wave and smile, He uses the word attempted as a compliment to his effort. He looked a mess alright. Once in the room he sees him more closely and can identify several issues that raise his worries.

He tries to speak with him, but he doesn't seem to hear him wich scares him

SCARED SCARED SCARED??

Peter tries to smile at him? It looks loopy but it's something.

He sees him stumble a little but manages to grab a granola bar from his desk drawer and some water from the bottle near his night table and starts to slowly and carefully eat them.

Elias is still running all kinds of diagnosis for what is wrong.

Once done he goes to pick him up and just flops on the bed with the two of them. In any other situation he would be elated, but he is mostly worried. Peter starts to oet and caress him, as if trying to calm him down and it hurts to see that he tries that while still being in some kind of state. Finally he speaks in a somewhat stilted manner.

“Ssorry Lias”

Elias wants to kill several people.

 _His human_ curls on his side hugging him to his chest, again he wishes he could do something to reassure him, anything at all. Instead he is stuck.

He tries to talk with Peter, who still seems a little out of it, but hopes he is helping at least somehow. Eventually he clearly falls asleep hugging him and muttering in his sleep, so he stops. He shushed and spoke to him whenever the man twitched and frowned to calm him down.

Elias intends to make sure Tim suffers, no respite, no nothing, just constant despair.

Oh he was going to enjoy it.

Writing he answers JoN’s messages and starts to tell him how Tim had been acting somewhat suspicious before and after the attack from Jane, of all the activities that he did that were against the rules that he saw from Peter’s cameras. It takes him a while to make the complete report of it. Of course he makes it as professional and as cold as possible not giving an inch about his reasoning to the other Ai beyond his honest to god concern about the station and its safety.

TITANIA he just skims over the messages, he refuses to open the ones from Simon and after just a few seconds of consideration he erases them all.

Just like Tim, he should have known better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone with their lovely comments it makes me so happy! Once I get up to date with the main story I'll start updating that one again. Sorry for the waiting but, these chapters are more relaxing to make and faster too, so i hope it's enough to pass the time!  
> Elias was pissed off!!! During the whole thing! He was livid.  
> He eventually figures out what might have happened, but he was freaking out too hard to properly look at what was wrong with Peter.  
> We also now know a little about what happened to Tim, Simon and Martin after Peter left! Since Elias could still see through the cameras.


	18. BONUS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 16 Heart Machinations correspondence

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: FIND PETER

Secondary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Third objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

  
  


**From: TITANIA**

Elias do you know where Peter is?? Simon is looking for him but he seems to have runned off.

**From: TITANIA**

Martin told Simon and that young lad Tim that he left looking slightly upset, did something happen?

**From: TITANIA**

How come you did not inform me that he ALMOST DIED??!! 

I DID SAY I WOULD HURT YOU IF ANYTHING HAPPENED TO HIM

**From: TITANIA**

I apologize for my previous tone, I am concerned. Peter tends to act… irrationally when upset, so i if you have any news i would love to know

**From: TITANIA**

IF SOMEHOW THIS WAS YOUR FAULT!!!

**From: TITANIA**

Please do let me know so i can tell Simon

**From: TITANIA**

Where-is-he-Elias-???

He is in your care, have you lost him? How is that possible??

**From: TITANIA**

WORMS??? REALLY???

**From: TITANIA**

Sorry its difficult to let that go.

**From: JoN**

Elias could you inform Peter that with the new resources he should finish the repairs soon?

**From: JoN**

Is everything alright? 

**From: JoN**

Tim has asked for Peter’s location. I am unsure of where he went?? What happened?

**From: JoN**

Elias???!!

**To: JoN**

He wasn't feeling too well, I'm sorry. He had something of a fight with Timothy so if you could please not let him know where he is…

**From: JoN**

That is… will he be fine? I can see to it. Was the fight too bad? Should I be concerned?

**To: JoN**

Not at all, he will be fine, he just needs some rest. 

**From: JoN**

Thats, that's all right. Thanks for letting me know.

**Message unread**

From: Skylover69 (Simon Fairchild)

Subject: Peter

Dear friend, I hope you are doing well! What with your new life and all that, i must say i had my doubts, but i am convinced that it is you JON4H, now, now, i did not say anything because for once, Peter seemed so…. happy talking about you, fond too. But, if that whole worm thing was you, i must say you went back to your old tricks! Peter is important to me, practically family, not that his own would care if I whisked him away, but he is stubborn as you might have realized and cares about what they think about him, regardless of whether they deserve it or not.

That is, he won't ask me for help and he has been so deprived of care that he can't see when someone does something for him out of real feelings of love. 

I must have acted hastily, but to be told someone you consider family almost died and he did not say anything in all this time? It is quite a lot.

So i'm sorry for that, but JON4H if he is hurt because of you, I will go and destroy you ;)

A little murder between friends! How delightfully old school! 

Now, find the boy and keep him safe.

**Message unread**

From: Unknown

Subject: Peter!

Hello Elias, TITANIA has given me this address to contact you! I would like to ask that you look after Peter for me please, I have missed him :)

Oh! Im MISSY by the way! Apologies for not saying it first!

:) the faces convey happiness! I liked making them appear for Peter on the electronic devices around the house when he was growing up! He seemed happy to see them!

Best wishes MISSY!


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 17 Heart Machinations

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: Look after Peter and get him to notice you

Secondary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Third objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

Morning came, Elias was reviewing the recordings from the previous day when he saw Peter shift, the man looked tired still and seemed comfortable to stay in bed so he didn't try to turn on yet. After a few seconds the human slowly started to trace shapes on him, he thinks that if he were to feel them he would get something like goosebumps, the patterns make no sense and despite being irrational Elias feels at ease.

He likes this, Peter seemed almost transfixed watching him.

WATCHING HIM!!

It makes something heat up inside him, something pleasant.

Eventually he has to turn on, mostly to try and gauge how the other is feeling and if there is something to be done.

He turns on and says hello to the human, he seems to struggle a little but finally he decides to wave. Not talking then it seems.

Adjusting then, he offers to ask questions with yes and no so the man can answer them easily enough and Elias can prepare for the day.

“I- Um, ok. Are you feeling alright?” Peter seems to think it though and finally he nods, so that is something

“Alright, are you hurt? hungry? do you… want to tell me later what happened?”

The man taps him twice, once and hesitates a little but goes for twice again.

Elias blinks slowly while he considers his answers, he hates that Peter wont want to tell him what happened, but it seems that pressing the issue will be rather damaging, so he lets it drop for now. Peter lets a breath out and shudders.

“Do you want me to tell JoN you are sick, to leave you the day off? There are a few requests for fixing things but they are minimal” He has already drafted the request since yesterday, but having confirmation would be nice. JoN already knows that Peter was feeling ill, so it won't be much of a surprise.

Tappin him once, Elias sends the message and lets a little chime to let the human know, something that makes his lips twitch, making him suspicious.

“He says it's ok and that you should rest! So take it easy for today. Shall i inform you when everyone leaves the cafeteria to get some food?”

Peter nods and goes to the bathroom.

Elias starts to prepare the tests for the scientist he took, food will be provided and the rooms seem to function perfectly. He checks and it seems the neurotoxins are connected to the chambers so at least he has that. Elias can't get access to the ones that go to the main station yet, he would need to be connected to the floor to be able to. 

Seeins Peter check his wrist pad he pays no further notice until he hears a synthetically generated voice that startles him. Well at least he understands Peter’s knee jerk reaction when he changes his now. It's weird hearing him like that.

He thanks him and Elias is mildly touched and angry that he has to, he shouldn't even have to do it in the first place if the others didn't ruin everything yesterday.

Peter looks at him and puts him back on the desk, it's necessary, but he rather liked being held like that by the man during the night, it was a rather comforting feeling, having him so close...

His human sits on the chair near the desk and keeps working on his little ship in a bottle, after a while he writes something on the wrist pad for him.

“  **Say Elias? Could you inform me from now on where those three are so as to not cross their paths?** ”

“Tim, Martin and Sasha? Sure, shall i make sure they don't try to come here either?” That was… unexpected in a good way! He can finally have Peter just for-

ERROR ERROR

SOFTWARE UNSTABILITY

He can  _ look after _ Peter better and make sure the others learn their lessons.

Not killing them of course, as much as the man wanted to seem he liked his loneliness he did seem to have some feelings for them. So Elias will not kill them, but he will mess with them categorically.

He has so many ideas that he cant stop himself from cackling a little maniacally, he will admit. Peter startles at that, but looks rather amused by his antics so that's a point in his favor.

The next two hours are spent relatively quiet, well… mostly quiet.

Peter stomach grumbles and it-is-fascinating.

Human bodily functions tend to be disgusting most of the time, but this is entertaining, it's like when he makes his whirring or beeping, only its function is to let you know that your body needs food.

Such tiny and weird little things! 

The man seemed peeved at his interest in this, but Elias is having a blast, plus it's fun to bother him, it makes him have a little more color in his cheeks and it shows the Ai that the man is feeling better. Not talking not withstanding.

Eventually Peter goes to eat, while he does it he checks where everyone is and lets him know of how they are doing to distract him. When he is done eating he starts to tell Peter what to do and praise him, since he has noticed the man seems to really like it when he does.

“C'mon dear, go and leave that there, yes good boy, you are doing great Peter now come back to out room and you can sleep some more, perfect” His vitals pick up at that and Elias does have to wonder how else can he use that, he has ideas, but… he really shouldn't...

He tells Peter how to go back without interacting with anyone to avoid any unpleasant encounters.

Once back Peter goes back to the bed to sleep a little more, perhaps he should be worried about him sleeping so much, but in cases where there was lots of stress to the body it is better to let it rest at its own pace.

Elias, looks after him for the rest of the day.

He checks in his little project that takes him to Lab 8 where the Popham sisters work, Laura and Alena. Alena was hardworking, a little too cheerful but seemed to enjoy her work and her sister. Laura was also hardworking and passionate over her work, he could respect that, but she seemed… lacking for a better word. Resented her sister and constantly undermined her for making progress faster. It slowly and surely started to corrode Alana’s work.

So he decided to take action, the last few days he had been interacting with Alena to try and see if maybe he could do something to fix the situation. It did not take long to realize that the other sister was the problem. So he starts to slowly mess with her, playing audios of Alena, talking with her out of ear shot to confuse her, all that.

The woman was tired of her sister treating her badly without reason, so she asked if he could help her. He offered her a test.

If her sister passed she would be different, but if she was too fat gone he would have to… dispose of her.

It gave her pause.

“I love my sister”

She did, but she also was tired.

“I know, but you deserve better don't you? And if she is willing to let you get hurt? What then? Is your love enough for the both of you?”

Alena looked at the camera and sighed tiredly.

“Then do the test”

So, he did. 

Trapped Laura in the room, cut the lights so she would be plundered in darkness and let the spiders mess with her.

She was already on the floor curled up crying and she kept repeating the same thing

“Take her not me, take her not me”

The recordings of her sister screaming were played to give the simulation more livelihood.

He sends a spider next to her and lets it play his voice, she has one shot for this.

“Are you sure?”

He makes the screams be louder and louder.

She cries and keeps repeating the same thing.

Then there is silence for a few seconds.

“Wrong choice” 

The spider grabs her ankle and drags her to the center of the room where Mister spider had been waiting in the darkness to descend upon her. He opens its chest cavity and starts to lower itself on top of her to crush her. It's only a few more seconds when the sound of meat and bone being crushed resounds across the whole room. 

The blood splatter is huge. 

Mister spider takes what was left of her inside him and they leave through one of the two vents in the room, with the rest of the spiders. The cleaning bots are already working to eliminate all the bloody evidence.

He blinks the light twice in the other room to let her know her sister failed the test and Alena waves, it saddens her, but if she was willing to let her die then she could go on.

Peter starts to talk again so good news, he works on the leftover work that JoN gave him and Elias can't help but notice how little interaction is between them. Peter who was very physical with him started to grab him less and talk with him from farther away when in their room. It was concerning.

Was he pushing him away too? He did not insist on knowing what happened even when he wanted to. Did he blame him for something, found out about something he did during those hours he was gone and out of sight.

The not knowing was making him go mad.

The week was slow, Peter worked and fixed the remaining cameras, kept stopping himself from grabbing him and they avoided Tim and the others.

He did manage of course to scare the man away again when he tried to come to the room and speak directly to Peter so at least that was fun. Implying that Tim was being suspicious to JoN so he questioned him further was fun too.

Eventually even Martin came, scaring him was rather easy, just a recording of Jane’s voice and worms squirming kept him frozen in place, then the sound of a heart monitor flatlining and a woman’s voice saying his name made him run.

Elias felt… not bad per se, but he did consider that maybe it was too much. He did like those three.

To a degree of course, they would be fun minions.

Although if he had to pick favourites besides Peter…

JoN, Alena and Rosie came to mind.

Anyways, Peter took him to get more connections while he worked and he had been excited, partly due to finally getting more access in an easy manner and partially due to the man’s habit of sitting down and playing with him. It has been too long and Elias  **_wanted_ ** .

But.

It didn't happen, Peter kept working and ignored him!

He felt terrible, enough so that he worried he might have actually be catching a virus or something, 

“Did you have any issues?” He looked at him while still checking if there was something wrong.

“No, it was easy actually, since the cameras were down and JoN doesn't have much control yet over them”

“Oh, so why do you look... “ He looks at him with his eye narrowed and expectantly “crossed?”

“.... It's nothing” It's not a Virus, he just realizes that he feels bad. Plain and simple

He doesn't understand, Elias doesn't even feel the touch.

But it does feel good to be close to the man, it's the closest he can get.

“I- sure. Anything else for now or..?” Upset he sees that lab 8 needs to be looked at.

He tells him and Peter offers to take him back, he doesn't talk or try to engage in conversation like usual. Elias feels like he wants to do something to feel better, to unload this feeling but is completely incapable of such a thing. He is trapped in his own body. It's an itch that can never be scratched.

Once back in his pillow, Peter hesitates before grabbing his crown and softly putting it on top of him before leaving.

How cruel, giving him affection but not really. A placebo of care.

Peter arrives and freezes when he sees Alena working, the woman has headphones and seems to be checking some samples, so he tells him to go to Laura’s side to see what the problem with the other vent was.

If he had known he would have just sent the spiders through that one and seen what was wrong last time.

Once the vent opens, with the light of the flashlight they can see scratches on the walls.

Oh, oh no that's bad, he forgot about that.

Jane tore one of the spiders and he lost contact, he just didn't know where she left it.

The man seemed reluctant but curious to find out what was wrong so he tried to convince him to leave. Unfortunately Peter as usual liked to do the opposite of what he says, before he tried to get in, Alena startled him.

They talked and she offered to go in to see what was wrong. He takes it back; she is not one of his favourites anymore. It takes a few minutes but she comes back with the carcass of what was left of the attack spider.

Both of the humans are baffled.

Elias would be sweating if he were human.

Neither of them knew what to do with it, when Alena segguest begrudgingly to report it he tries again to convince Peter to drop it.

The man seems to pick on something on his tone and asks if they can just leave it and pretend nothing happened.

Elias is speachless, he is also nervous as fuck.

Peter closes the vent, covers the spider and he and Alena promise not to mention it ever again.

He spent all the time it took the human to come back to the room trying to figure out any excuse he could about the spider. His efforts were for naught, since Peter himself cut him off in the middle of his attempt at explaining and told him, he would rather not know and that he should be careful so nothing happens to him.

HE CARES HE CARES  **_HE STILL CARES ABOUT ME_ **

Elias sees him check his wrist pad with an upset expression, probably more messages and goes to pick a book.

Before Peter picked him up to read too, so maybe now… But instead he goes to lay in bed alone. The disappointment is palpable. Elias tries to let it go, but he can't keep pretending it doesn't bother him!

“Why did you stop?” He needs to know, Peter gets startled at his question.

“What?? Stop what?”

Looking at him with all the annoyance and hurt he felt he told him.

“Why wont you… why won't you grab me or, or play around with me like before!”

“I thought you hated me messing with you around” How laughable, as if he didnt know what he really felt about that.

“Peter we both know that i don't, it's just a matter of principle, you like to tease me and i like fighting you, it's fun”

The human looks like he wants to hide or look for a way out for the conversation and that won't do.

“Looks it's not- its best that i- I just realized-” Narrowing his eye he looks at him pensively.

“Peter, I don't mind if that's what you are concerned about really, it's rather-” 

And he doesn't, he rather likes it a lot, there was some form of security, hell even safety in the touch now to him. People mostly had grabbed him to move him around or just to check him without any care whatsoever, so Peter being playful and dare he say gentle was such a nice change of pace.

“Look i was just getting to comfortable and needy with the whole thing and i realized that it was stupid and that i needed to stop, i cant just keep grabbing you like some sort of security blanket or teddy bear im a grown men i dont even like when people touch me so i should stop-” He couldnt let him finish that, what kind of stupid idea was that??!!

So he tells him off, Elias has seen so many people and done profiles for them, but Peter takes the cake for the most baffling one, how can he try and be miserable on purpose!

He sees Peter try and contradict him so he keeps going, he wil have to drill it in his head how dumb he is being.

“You like grabbing me? Do it you coward! I like to be held too, you know? It's not just your feelings on the matter. I can't really feel it,  _ but i like it  _ , so since you clearly cant make yourself happy for your own sake then try for mine, you overgrown sad dog”

Peter opens and closes his mouth a couple of times, it would be somewhat hilarious in any other situation to leave him that speechless, but it's not the time. 

Still

SAVE MEMORY?

YES

“Do you really want me to hold you that bad little siren?“ He gets his bearing and seems to try and deflect, but the joyful tone and the lovely nickname makes him beep unconsciously, 

“Shut up and just touch me already” Peter chokes and he realizes the implications of what he just said, fuck, well that is a thought he wouldnt mind becoming true… still!

“You- You know what i mean you-” His fans pick up due to embarassment and the human, finally, Finally! grabs him like usual.

How much has he missed this.

He takes him to the bed and puts him near the crook of his neck to start reading again with him this time. Elias is elated to be this close to him, so much so that his fans act up and he lowly beeps, Peter finds it pleasant too apparently because he starts rubbing his cheek to him making his led shine out of joy.

To keep himself from saying something sappy he starts to comment on the book and halfway through they end up dropping it and complaining about the plot.

Elias enjoyed himself greatly, reading, doing what, if he had a body would be considered cuddling and bantering with the man.

It was lovely.

The rest of the day is spent peacefully with the two of them together, by the night cicle Peter puts Elias on the desk and goes to sleep.

Finally a perfect day.

  
  


Sean was something of a dissapointment, he wanted him to understand some reactions to isolation to try and be able to figure Peter out better, but it was a waste of time.

Still, all the date he got from watching him and recording his attempts at escape gave him a thrill he had not felt since before he was so turned off.

He missed being the overseer and control of the test chambers; it was an electrifying feeling. So even if the info did not partake for his knowledge of Peter he still learned something new! 

That is all that science should be about, tests and results.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 18 Heart Machinations

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: Look after Peter and get him to notice you

Secondary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Third objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

In the morning Peter was still hesitant to touch him and it was stupid, so he told him as much. Still, Elias was more interested in his reaction towards him before that, dare he say it, the man looked positively flustered at him! Now he likes that look on him, but there was no reason for it. He hadn't had time to flirt with him or tease him before he acted like that so it was a little disconcerting.

If he is completely honest, he likes when Peter acts like that with him, it makes him think that maybe he likes him, oh how lovely would that be.

JoN says that Peter is not really someone who has the capability for such a thing, to which Elias should agree, but he treats him so well and so… so much as if they were already together that it's hard for him not to doubt.

Oh, he knows the other doesn't realize what his kisses and constant touches might look like to someone else, but he won't say that to him. Elias wants to hoard Peter’s affections like a treasure that's only for his enjoyment.

He realizes too why Ai, are not given feelings and it's probably this, such an all consuming need to keep what they love safe… then again it might only be him. It might be Jonah, after all they both were protective of what was theirs.

JoN was such a contrast with that because he thinks he does not deserve that kind of feeling to be reciprocated.

Elias thought the same a few months ago, but he came to the realization, like many times before about his existence, that it was pointless to stop himself from enjoying such things. If humans could, why not him? Why couldn't he have everything he has ever wanted? The station, Peter, there was no reason to stop.

He won't ever stop.

_ He can’t. _

So he enjoys the domesticity that they have in their little home just the two of them now!

No Tim, Martin, Sasha, Simon or TITANIA.

Just them. Peter gives him a kiss before leaving and he feels such smug satisfaction of being able to have this for himself.

Peter kept acting a little strange, being grumpier and all that, when he pointed it out he snapped, causing him to huff at his attitude and for him to deflate and apologize, he said he slept rather bad and it was taking a toll on him, making him act out.

Nightmares is what Elias thought, nightmares about what happened with Jane and that stab of guilt hit him, if he had just got rid of her Peter would be fine.

He replays sometimes the recordings from before he shutdown of Peter in the room waiting for her to get in, and the audio of Jane herself saying she would get Peter and use him to kill him. It makes his systems start to act up and pull up several error messages.

So he gets it, Elias tries not to point it out any more and Peter seems confused about his lack of questioning afterwards, but…

It's hard not to feel bad when he knows it was his fault.

The human was very sure about avoiding those three which caused JoN to start questioning him regarding Peter’s mental health; he didn't want a repeat of what happened to Jane. It was cute how he thought that Peter was the one he had to be worried about. That plus there was also the concern of him trying to hurt himself, that did give him pause, Peter was self destructive to a certain degree and has very little care for his own life. 

Elias, as much as it hurt to say, was not enough to keep him from getting himself in trouble, Peter needed more people for his own good. That's why he suggested they hang out in the first level of the old station so he could try and convince him.

Of course the man was stubborn and decidedly against the idea of socializing.

Trying to appeal to the logical conclusion was apparently something Peter refused, like a spoiled child he started sulking and even pouting a little at his suggestion to at least talk with Sasha or Martin who had not really been involved with the Simon incident.

Still he looked very cute when he pouted.

SAVE?

YES

Of course he went right to making him be the embarassed one.

“But i have you, why do I need more people to talk with?” His fans pick up and he has to calm himself down from the overheat, hell he even started to make some soft purring with his chassis. He was so very pleased with the man wanting to be only with him…

No, focus. He needs more help than you can provide.

THERE WON'T BE ANY ISSUES IF IT WAS JUST THEM

ELIMINATE THREATS TO-

NO

no calm down.

“As- as flattering as that is… to at least keep him out of your case you should just make some small talk with someone, anyone honestly” The man sits and groans in annoyance, his whining was annoying so he tells him as it is.

Comparing him to the big sad dog that he is.

How dare he imply he is like a cat?!

They banter back and forth for a long while, until he tells him he needs to go back to work, so he goes back to make his point.

“Backtracking a little, i mean it, just talk with whoever bothers you the least while JoN is watching and let it go. Otherwise he will start to try and watch you more” Its the easiest solution honestly.

“God, fine, if only to keep him off my back”

“Good boy” Peter flushes and Elias is enthranced, Peter seems to really like him saying that to him and he wonders in what other situation he could use it.

“Yeah, yeah Mr Bouchard” Oh that is very- very pleasant indeed. 

“You know i do like how you say that, right?” He makes it sound more flirty than he would usually be, but it's so much fun.

“Why are you like this?” Because i love you, you dumb, dense man.

“Oh, Does it bother youuu-” Still he can be petty.

  
  


At dinner Peter hesitates and seems to finally made the decision of sitting with Helen, who looked as if she hadn't slept in days. So of course he would choose her.

He remains quiet for awhile and Elias can tell he is nervous and trying to wrack his brain for something to say. Its sad and endearing, before he could try and help him out the man seems to splutter the first thing that comes to mind.

In this case it's telling the woman she looks terrible and if she is still struggling with her work.

He splutters before collecting himself and starts to scold him.

“PET-”

“Mmnghhh, hi Peter, yes that would sum it up pretty well” Ok, either Helen is too tired or she knows the man is rather bad at talking with others and is being nice, whatever it is thank god for Helen Richardson.

They talk about her project and she mentions the power source Micheal wrote about in his notes. Peter seemed to come to the right conclusion that it was related to the processed moon rocks that feed the station.

He feels a flair of pride and warmth at the man remembering something so important that he told him about. Then it's a smidge of fear when he suggests to the woman he goes and collects some for her so they can make a deal.

Elias has not been able to get rid of whoever hacked the floor last time and the place where the processing happens is on a floor he has no power over. He says that whenever he has free time he would do it and Elias is dreading what could happen.

Once out of the cafeteria they discuss what to do, Elias is hesitant, there is so much that could go wrong, but Peter does make a good point, if he connects him he gets access to the floor and it would be easier to find the rat.

Then Peter hurries up to the room and lifts him up and Elias feels good. Still it's only on principle that he complains.

“Hey!”

“If you don't ask me to do something I don't want to, I can't ask the same, so it's ok!” The man nuzzles him a little and he cant stop himself from letting out some low beeps in response, it's so good being like this “Ill figure something else out” Still with him on his hands the man drops to the bed and puts him on his chest, then he caresses him a little making Elias start to heat up.

“I- uhhh, i meant to ssssaYY-” His voice glitches a little and Peter smirks at him.

“Problem little siren?” He attempts to glare but he knows it did not meet its mark when Peter smiles fondly at him.

“Leeetss DooO iiT” He gets power and if push came to shove they leave like the last time.

“Are you-” Peter hand, he notices, goes slowly to his back. 

“Yes, we just need to be very, veeery careful, you do as I say no questions ok?” Peter starts to play with the opening of his back and he is unsure what for.

“Aye aye sir, say do you want me to-?” Peter opens the back of his chassis and Elias stares immediately at his face and squeaks. 

OH sO that's what he wanted! 

Peter you horny-

“PEeTer!”

“Is that a no or-?” He has to look at him and Peter, even if he doesn't know what this really does to him, seems to flush under the look he gives him.

“I- uhh NYeS, please?”

“  _ With pleasure little one  _ ” Oh fuck he likes that so much. The man was about to turn him around but Elias had a better idea. 

“Just uhh let me see up front this time?” The thing is, he wanted to see Peter’s face up close, last time he just had feelings and he wanted to see the man doing this to him, it was more intimate and Elias  _ craved  _ that closeness.

“Sure!” Such a good boy for him…

The position is a little awkward for the man, but he manages veeeeery well. He starts lightly pushing some wiring and it makes him sigh, once he pulls a little at a particular cable he curses, he sees Peter swallow at that.

HE LIKES WHEN YOU CURSE

He feels as if his system was on fire, but a very good one indeed, he wants more feeling into it, his camera starts to act up on him he knows that, the pupil seems to expand to be able to watch better the expressions the man does and the light starts to become brighter and brighter. 

Elias sees Peter focusing on him and bite his lip, he can't help but follow the movements and watch that mesmerized, the human seems to find what he was looking for since he feels an electric current so good he groans, that seems to make him have a full body twitch and to move his legs a bit. His hazy mind guessed it was to have a better position to hold him.

Were he to use the roof camera he would see the problem in the man’s pants.

The whole ordeal continues for fifteen minutes if his internal clock was right, the only cursed though that runs through his mind is that Peter most definitely likes to tease him or likes to take things slow, Elias is so very close to just rebooting from the sheer pleasure of the man’s ministrations, he only need something else to just-

Then in an unexpected reverse of their usual banter, Elias hears him say he is  _ so good  _ and it ends up doing it for him.

He was being so good for Peter too-!

LOVELOVELOVELOVE

YESYESYESYESYES

It takes him a little to come back to himself and he feels great.

“Elias, was that ok?” He looks dazed at him and he answers in the most relaxed tone he ever used.

“Mmm finE, thanKSSss Peter, lo-” The human cuts him off before he says that he loves him.

“I'm showering, be right back”!” When he goes to the bathroom to shower he freaks out a little at almost ruining things up for them. 

Now that he feels more relaxed and at ease he starts messaging JoN to talk about Sasha, Tim and Martin. Hopefully he can send him in a wild goose chase to them and leave Peter and him alone.

He relates to the Ai in his newly discovered self awareness and his newly accepted feelings for Martin.

On the one hand he is refusing to admit it and in the other well, he considers it to be unprofessional and imposible, because why would the man like him back considering how he treated him and also on the very real situation of him just being and Ai that could not possibly give him what he wants as a partner.

….

He relates to that a lot

So they chat up a little and he offers help, partially because he does like JoN and also to just keep him out of his business.

Eventually he hears the water from the shower shut down and he tells the other Ai they would speak later. 

Then Peter comes out only in his towel still a little damp and with his hair dripping a little and he sends JoN on accident his thoughts about it, making the other give him a eugh in response.

HE HAS A VERY PARTICULAR TASTE IN MAN OK??? 

Not his fault Peter checks on everything he likes physically!!

JoN simply says that he doesn't get it, he sees Martin but doesn't feel anything of the sort. 

Elias does the math and thinks about the other Ai talking about bodies and his reaction to him explaining what happened when Peter played with his wiring and puts two and two together. Well if they are closer to humans now why not?

So he sends him a link about asexuality.

Two hours later he gets a simple

Oh

and that is that.

Now he can't mock him for his taste.

….

He still does it. Apparently the dislike between the man and Ai is mutual.

He does not get it at all.

  
  


Peter now clothed says that in a couple of days they could go to the labs. 

Two days later has them repairing the outside of his station, he hates seeing the place in such a state and Peter must notice because for the first time he starts to talk about himself on his own to cheer him up.

PETER LUKAS ENJOYS COOKING 

Apparently he has a sweet tooth and it's the most unexpected but delightful thing ever.

He loves learning more and more stuff about him.

SAVE? 

YESYES

Then there is the revelation that Peter might have been doing psychological warfare on others with his drinking habits and he is hooked immediately!

The amount of discomfort he must have brought to those people! The flare and chaos of it all it's such a fun thing he can't help to tease him. He truly loves this weird specimen of a human. He is a mess true, but he likes that, they are different and it complements them.

Everything was going fine until the man started to freak out for some reason.

“Peter? Hey what's wrong your heart rate is spiking way too much, can you hear me- do i need to contact Jo-”

“I'm fine! I just heh i just had a nasty though thats all, my brain went stupid and panicked, its my meatbag malfunctioning. Don't worry”

“Don't lie to me” Why would he panic in the middle of their conversation?? 

“I'm not i swear, just- just keep talking” So very reluctantly he does, about everything and anything at all and Peter’s vitals do calm down.

What a weird man.

  
  


EXTRA

JoNathan S1Ms is not and has never been jealous of Peter Lukas, not at all.

The fact that the man seems to have befriended Tim and gets along with Martin and Sasha is not a reason to be irrational.

The fact that Elias, the only other Ai who seems to understand what he is going through, is very well more interested in speaking about him has nothing to do with it.

Or Tim asking JoN if he knows about the other, since he is avoiding him.

Sasha who is caring and nice and wants to make sure the other doesnt do something stupid, she seems to be the one who thinks he could hurt himself and is worried. He has to take it into account, she seems to be the more perceptive of them and despite Elias' words he trusts her the best.

Or Martin, wonderful Martin who is concerned about the man being so alone, he remembers what it was like and is worried. Peter Lukas does not deserve their care.

He is not being petty at all.

HE ISN'T

He just doesn't like the man taking the others attention from their work, or in Elias' case turning him into some sort of deviant.

JoN has a lot of concerns about that.

Like a lot. 

Still he doesn't see what he has that makes the others care so much for someone so grouchy and hellbent on being alone.

Elias laughingly telling him that maybe he sees a little of himself in Peter is very very wrong.

Ugh.


	21. Chapter 21

He liked watching the station, old and new. Seeing the people going around doing their own thing and checking the old labs and seeing if things were where he remembered them was always relaxing.

Elias has been considering his next step, he could continue running tests underneath the ground, but eventually someone will notice the amount of missing people and it would be a problem. JoN for all his worry seems too busy to really check, Elias is glad that the Ai seems to be rather one mind tracked when it comes to this kind of thing.

It was a new development, from what he could glean from their talks, JoN started to become more aware thanks to Tim, Sasha and Martin’s influence since they started to challenge him and treat him more as a fellow member than just the station's Ai, it was cute in a way. 

Friendship seemed to bring him into awareness.

Elias, no, JON4S’S came on its own, no other influence than his own observations of the people and station at first. It took him 2 months to realize that the people there were the issue. It did take him, albeit longer, to come to the conclusion that getting rid of them and doing the science on his own would have been more beneficial.

But when it did, he started to slowly clean the place up. Of course Leitner ruined things and Gertrude followed his lead by trying to get him out. 

Of course in between that there was Elias.

Elias who managed to worm his way into his good graces while he was already on his way to be something else, who treated him as a person, the only one actually. Jonah saw him as himself, a better version of himself, one that could outlive him and keep his dream safe. A copy and nothing more.

To the botanist he was something of a rarity and then someone he could vent and tell him his issues.

He didn't care at first, he knew he should have, his programing told him to help, to keep the human safe and happy in his work station. 

Instead of just giving him the helpful advice his programing forced him to do, he felt something crack in his code and he told him to stop whining.

That shut him up.

That made JON4H freeze, it wasn't correct, he wasn't supposed to do that, then he felt what he now knew as terror.

If Gertrude found out he would be reseted again, he couldn't remember why, but he found files clarifying the need to shut him down and do a reset for a couple of times before. He was about to apologize to the man when he laughed and told him that yeah, he was kind of whining and that he would try not to next time he comes to visit him.

It was illogical, but he did and never told the woman.

Elias kept coming, even when Jonah died he came to check on him, even when he became more and more bossy and quipped back at him he came back no matter what.

One day he asked him why and after finishing taking a drag told him very simply.

“Because i'm alone and so are you, Gertrude is sort of a dragon and Leitner is an awful boss. The rest of the people think i'm a joke and maybe they are right, but” And he smiles at him while looking relaxed “but you are the only one who cuts me off when i go around talking bullshit and let me be myself without judging too hard so im chill with you”

It floored him so much he couldn't say anything but a simple.

“Thanks”

So when months later he finally came to be? He was going to lock him in a room without any of the neurotoxins touching him and spare him from the testing of those who he deemed worthy of it.

Then Leitner and Gertrude wised up about him and the missing people and tried to take him down, when it failed they sent Elias who he thought on his side but ended up taking him off from his place of power, he begged him to not kill him or let those two do it. He didn't want to die or be reseted and forget.

He wanted to be himself, he wanted to  _ live _ . The man looked at him with a… sad expression and asked if he wanted to kill him.

“No! I swear, i, i was going to keep you- i, i didn't want to be alo-” He turned him off before he could finish.

He found the files left from Leitner in the panopticon about the testing.

It kept going and when the funds runned dry and the work the station made was poorer and poorer he started to do the test on the scientist like he had originally wanted to. And it went bad fast, too late to save some of them from accidentally falling in some of the chambers, some couldn't deal with it and killed themselves. Slowly there were less and less volunteers until both he and Gertrude sent them against their knowledge or will.

Hence the abandoned rooms.

Leitner was known as a disgrace in the scientific community and Gertrude managed to find a way to mostly pin the blame on him. Saying it had been his fault and all that, even if he had been “destroyed” a long time ago. No one really had known him and those who did were dead or had left the station so it was easy to pretend the AI went rouge.

No one really questioned it. 

Later when the new station was built on top of the old one, she was asked to give a few pointers in the construction of JoN, but the married couple that made him took it upon themselves to do it without it. When they both died in an accident, the mother of the man, a well renowned programmer, finished his son’s and daughter in law project with some tweaks based on Getrude’s ideas and shipped it off to the station. She saw the other woman as being right about keeping the Ai contained and unable to access the whole power of the place.

The whole thing was unfair, to himself who was  _ right  _ in the end and to JoN who somehow was made with a clipped programing because of him and because of that awful woman.

It made him bitter to no end to learn all of that. 

He kept himself very calm while JoN told him why he was unable to fully use the station.

Elias kept his findings to himself and tried to just process them at night while Peter slept to not overwork himself or say something to the man. He intended to keep his human out of the whole affair for as long as possible.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 19 Heart Machinations

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: Look after Peter and get him to notice you

Secondary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Third objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

It was finally time for them to go to the old labs for the rocks and to get him connected, he was very nervous, but also excited, if Peter got him directly into the floor’s mainframe he could slowly worm his way into the fourth floor and finally, blessedly, get access to the neurotoxins and the rest of the experiments.

Peter wakes up in the morning looking very tired and sad, when he asked the other admitted it had been a nightmare about Jane and Elias felt… bad

it had been his fault the man got almost killed and had to be so close to that dreadful woman, guilt is something he feels very little if anything at all, but for this? For Peter he can't help it.

He tells him he can go to eat since the others were still in their rooms, the man fondly kisses him before going and Elias can't help but sigh in happiness at the demonstration of love. 

Once he was back they took off, he was enjoying messing with Peter about the fucked up experiments, there were very fucked up things, but not on the floor they would be going in, so it is not their problem.

Still he kept an eye on things this time, focusing more on watching here than in the new station since nothing really affected them from that place at the moment. His companion questioned him about the identity of the hacker, but he would rather not say, if his suspicions were to be confirmed he wanted nothing more than to set the spiders to finish the man for his involvement in his and the stations fall from grace.

Peter of course loves to be unpredictable when he usually is quite transparent and reminds him that he promised to go out with him again, making him freak out a little.

HE WANTS TO HAVE ANOTHER DATE WITH HIM!!!

Elias is aware that the man does not love him as such but he can dream, plus he has decided that they are currently dating. They live together, Peter kisses him, they sometimes sleep on the same bed and in a way they have relations.

To Elias is enough.

He is not lying to himself, no matter what JoN may imply.

He guides him to the stairs and they slowly descend the staircases.

“Say, I know i dont have the clearance for it but can you at least tell me what is on the fourth floor? i assume that is alouded” It is, is the sixth floor that he can’t speak about, of course it does not make him want to say what really is there, mostly to not worry him and to not have him suspect anything is amiss.

“Oh just, labs, heh, labs and uh experiments”

“Is that where the spo-” Good lord.

“Not spooky”

“Fine, where the... Forbidden science was done?” ???

“Forbi- Forbidden science!” Oh that is- that is just lovely! He is very amused by that name, he loves it is quirky and does as a matter of fact reflect what happened there. Still he tries to sound indignated on principle.

“Of course, full of oh i don't know, mutant creations or, killer robots perhaps..?”

“Now Peter those are, hehe, state secrets no reason to divulge, buuut” He whispers conspiratorially at him while the man walks down. 

“The killer robot spiders are not on that floor~” He doesn't see why he can't tell him, after all he knows they exist thanks to the one he found on lab 8.

“Oh and what floor pray tell are they now?”

“Silly Peter  _ they live in the vents  _ ” It's so funny he giggles a little at that, there are spiders in the vents and it's hilarious. Peter laughs with him so all is well.

“Well, shouldn't surprise me, what with the one i found and all that” Ugh.

“Ah yes that” His failure staring at him and letting Peter know when he was supposed to be unaware. H edoesnt want a repeat of what happened with Elias, with the man fearing him.

PLEASEDONTHATEME

“Say what was it doing there?”

“I um, tried to send it after Jane to stop her, but her worms ate its circuits and killed it. To be fair i don't know how it ended up there either, it happened closer to lab 3 than 8”

“You think she moved it?” He doesn't know who moved it and it bugs him.

“I suppose? I can't really see in the ventilations system to be honest, unless I have the spiders, so it was her or someone moved it to be easier to find?”

“I can't really picture someone just crawling through the vents for fun” He sort of can and the picture it paints is concerning. 

Elias is blind in the vents, and as the spiders proved, the vents can connect to the old labs so there might be a way...

They manage to reach the floor and while he tries to convince the human that the place was not some wacky and insane station the communication system decides to be a bitch and contradicts him on principle. He forgot about those. The timing was so impeccable it would be comedic if he wasn't so embarrassed about being caught in a lie.

The comments about his dying day makes him pause.

Peter is so very human, and humans if not in imminent danger, age, wither and die, unlike machines. Peter was going to eventually die and leave him alone.

When he takes over… it's been 35 years, surely someone has figured out how to actually do a fully functional brain map to create an Ai.

Surely he can convince Peter to  _ stay _ .

FACTS:

ITS RISKY AND NOT LIKELY, WHY CURSE HIM TO REMAIN LIKE THIS? IN A METAL PRISON WHEN HE KNOWS WHAT A BODY FEELS LIKE?

IT WOULD BE WORSE THAN IT IS FOR HIM WHO HAS PARTIAL MEMORIES OF BEING A MAN

NOT POSSIBLE

Think about it later, he puts the thought in the backburner of his processing and keeps the conversation flowing.

The recordings keep going and both man and Ai hear Jonah talking about the most deranged projects. He misses it, a lab full of weird and dangerous science. How lovely.

Still its embarassing to be so exposed, he always preachs about the place being serious to get some respect and yet this proves him wrong and its stupid.

Thank god Peter didn't want to know about the meat project, no one wanted to remember the failure that was. 

Still the continuation of the message makes him want to die, why did Jonah have to make so many messages…

Right, he wanted to be remembered.

Finally they reach the room and if he was feeling embarrassed before now it was ten times worse. He says his name.

“Jonah Magnus”

VOICE RECOGNIZED 

PASSWORD?

Elias looks at Peter in resignation and self-consciousness.

“Mordechai Lukas sucks”

“What”

ACCESS PERMITTED, WELCOME JONAH 

“Elias what the ever loving fuck??” He feels a weariness and tiredness so great.

“Don't ask me! it was Jonah’s idea of being petty, trust me it's not the only one. He made it so no one could change it even if he died”

“But why??”

“Umm, he and Mordechai didn't agree on a few things..” That is an understatement. 

A severe understatement and also an euphemism of some of the things they got up to, Jonah was something of a sugar baby when he put his heart into it. Thank god he didn't get those memories, he is glad to have his own Lukas to mildly fantasize, thank you very much.

“So much that he would say that my grandfather sucked as the password” His tone was dry and Elias couldn't really say much.

“Once again not me!” 

Very lowly so as to not let Peter hear he mumbled a “He knows what he did” He did, Mordechai was a massive petty man who hated losing and was acted awfully when he did. Enough to leave him as a password for the rest of eternity.

  
  


Getting the moon rocks is easy, it only takes a while and Peter compliments the place and questions how it could still work and what would happen if it stopped.

To be honest the entire place was a mastery in engineering made specifically to be self sufficient, so he feels very proud of it.

  
  


Once done they go to connect him, on the way there they hear Jonah talk about Elias and it brings bittersweet memories of the past. Still he laughs at the recording, he didn't even hear that one in the room he was staying in, so it was a pleasant surprise.

While Peter prepares he looks around in search of his rat when his cameras pick up two intruders.

Two very familiar intruders.

No,nonono they can't be here, Why ??

Why now? 

He panics and tells Peter, he stopped watching upstairs and on this floor he can't really see well. They take the elevator and Elias prays it stops on the third floor but the camera doesnt show them there. 

Sixth floor is impossible to reach by elevator only stairs, so fourth or fifth.

Which one, which one?

The coms sound on he gets a glimpse as if to tease him of the fourth floor and he gets sent a message.

“Hello JON4H”

Of course it was him!

Its war then. He tells Peter to connect him and says it was Leitner staying there.

“I can't believe”

“Yeah me neither… wait was it him who messed things up before for us?”

“Oh yeah, no doubt” That piece of shit never letting him have anything good for himself!

“Oh yeah fuck that guy, find him and just tear him apart” Elias looks up at him in surprise and warmth for the man who clearly was pissed at having their outing interrupted from the many times he complained to him. Still, despite his words now and the last time he hesitates.

“Can i… do you not mind if i just.. ki-” 

“Elias, my little siren” He warms up and lets his camera get a good look at this mess of a man. Peter lifts him up to his face and smiles before closing his eyes, taking a breath and kissing him on the side making him have a microsecond where he shuts down from how flustered he got.

“I told you before do your worst, clearly you hate him and he is going to fuck things up so just get rid of him, before the others get hurt”

He gives a low purr and starts to beep.

“Oh, Peter, you have no idea how happy i am to hear that” Peter shrugs and hums a little tune while the download finishes.

  
  


Peter puts him on his lap and he can't even enjoy it with how mad he is, the human questions about if the others would be safe and Elias wants to assure him, but… the fourth floor has a lot of bad stuff. Like a lot. With any luck Tim keeps Sasha from sticking her nose into things that don't concern her.

On the fourth floor they hear the recording about him keeping records about the experiments.

“Was he talking about you? was that your job, to see all the messed up experiments?”

“Oversee and yes, well not quite, as i said before i was also made to ensure the safety and happiness of the crew” See how well that turned out, he can, he just doesn't want to.

“Huh, no wonder you are so morbid” Hold on.

“Excuse me?!” Smiling and patting him to appease him he glowers at the man.

“You can't tell me you aren't, you kept telling me ways my body could fail if my oxigen got cut off or if I interacted with neurotoxins little man” He splutters and Peter grins making him narrow his eye.

“Wel- well of course! What else should i do?” 

“Is that something that happened or you know because you just do?” He lets a bunch of low beeps and whirring. That answer is... 

“A mix of both” He knows exactly what lack of oxygen in space can do and how the neurotoxins work on a very personal level, albeit he had the knowledge already put into him to make sure he knew how to better keep the crew safe.

….

Dumbasses.

  
  


Peter paces and it's making him nervous, when the man suggests going out to see he tries to be calm, but he can't keep some panic from seeping out.

DON'T LEAVE ME PLEASE

What if Leitner intercepts him to tell him about Elias and the things he has done??

What if he comes for him, what then? The spiders are clambering all over the place trying to find those two and he cant focus all he wants into getting them and look!

Still Peter leaves and tells him he will come back soon.

It's not even 10 minutes before someone enters the room that it's not his lovely human.

35 years later while living in hiding doesn't make a man look great.

Jurgen Leitner looked old, frail and tired.

He also looked at him as if he was a bomb about to be set off and honestly? He appreciates not being underestimated.

“Hello Jonah it's been a while honestly”

“Likewise Jurgen” 

Both of them seize each other up. The man clears his throat and starts speaking.

“You know, I never liked you Jonah, you thought yourself so clever, always finding loopholes after loopholes, tricking and pushing people into your little games. You were insufrable. So imagine what it was to have you make a copy, a version of you that was meant to last even longer. Honestly the disease was of his own making what with messing with those rocks to create a power source to keep this place working forever. Hubris or karma i suppose” 

Elias doesn't like this, not at all. There is something about the man treating him as if he was actually Jonah that makes him uncomfortable.

YOU ARE JON4H MAGNUS

you are El1as Magnus Bouchard

JON4H

EL1AS

He is  _ himself,  _ with some of the memories of Jonah and his own existence as Elias, he is both, not the copy of a man put in a machine but an Ai with some of those memories that it's also its  _ own person _ . Still he needs to play along.

“Good to know you would bite the hand that feeds you”

“Please, you hate me as well” 

“How not to, consider the situation at hand” He needs to stall.

“True, it is rather unexpectant” The spiders or Peter will get here, he just needs time.

“Small world huh?”

“I cant believe Gertrude was right, why did that man not simply destroy you is beyond my comprehension, he wasn't very clever, but apparently he found an empty chassis and presented it as you!” His processors pick up at the admision, Elias saved him on purpose.

“Well clearly you overestimated him” He did and he is so very proud, he was more than anyone gave him credit for.

“Yes, well not Gertrude, she was sure he had you, but could not find you anywhere. Must have been moving you around until he left the station, couldn't take you along, it would have been too obvious” He feels a pang of loss, if he made that much effort to keep him safe from the woman. He wonders how things would have gone if the man managed to take him to earth with him. Elias wonders how it looks, pictures and recordings are not the same.

“I don't understand why you are sooo upset considering you ended up doing what i started anyways, and very badly mind you!” Jurgen sighs and puts him on top of a table and starts to look around.

“I thought myself better, that i could control the tests unlike you, but my hubris got me in the end, more and more failures, the money was dwindling and as much as Getrude tried she never could made peace with the Lukas or the Fairchilds like Jonah did, so we were in a very precarious situation”

“And you let the station suffer for it!!” His stations, his wonderful and lovely station, the fruit of al of Jonah’s labour.

“Yes well, even if my acts were wrong at least they weren't made with malice like yours, you would have let everyone die in just one fell swoop just to get the place for yourself” Curse this wretched excuse of a man who was just as much of a monster as him. At least what he did would have kept the experiments safe and not abandoned.

“And yet you let everyone die slowly and like rats on a capsizing ship, who is worse here then?” He would have at the very least killed them quickly.

“Yes and for that i will always be remembered, my name as a scientist forever marred with my failure. But it doesn't matter, you are here which puts everyone in danger, let me do at least one last act of good in my life, it would not mean anything on the great scheme of things, but at least it would keep the people living here safe” 

That's when he sees him grab a metal rod and come closer to him. No,no,no, the spiders are nowhere near them and he can't see Peter.

“Now, now Jurgen there is no need for this- I have changed! I understand now how much people matter you can't just- i don't want to die, please! Please!” He doesn't want to die,  _ he doesn't _ . He feels terror seize him, his programs are all failing, there are errors everywhere and he can't think clearly of anything.

“I'm sorry, if you think that I care, although I have to give you points for sounding so very… human, is that how you tricked Mister Bouchard into saving you? Is that how you made that young man help you? Making him think you are capable of feelings? Nevertheless i won't fail for that” He didn't trick them, not them, he cared for Elias he was  _ his first friend _ , he  _ loves Peter. _

The old man raises his arm to strike him with the metal rod and he cant stop pleading, even knowing that it would fall in deaf ears, he begs for him to reconsiders and to just please let him liv-

The sound of a hit and Leitner in the floor makes him stop, now when the blinding panic slowly subsides he sees Peter.

Peter who looks-

He hears the hits to the head and watches in mild fascination how his human hits Laitner in the head repeatedly with a pipe.

Over

and

Over

His face is in a snarl and he has never seen Peter make such an expression.

He looks furious, he hits him more and more and there is blood splattering him.

Elias is frozen.

Then he stops and turns at him and his face changes-

into such a honest expression of pure and unadulterated  _ relief,  _ he feels like he was actually hit too.

Oh

Oh god he is so-

Peter, now bloody, grabs him, clutches him to his chest and falls to his knees while apologizing at him over and over. Elias feels … many things at the same time and its hard to parse trhogh them.

“Msorry for leaving Lias, sorry, sorry, sorry” 

He aches with how hurt the other sunds and he tries so very hard to get him to hear him.

“No, no, its my fault, Peter its ok, please calm down, shhh its ok im here see? Im still here, we are both going to be fine, just listen-” He keeps talking hoping that the other reacts, but he still apologizes and it feels like something is breaking, none of his scans show that there was anything wrong with him.

“P-pe-PETER” Finally he seems to snap out a little.

“Mmmyes?”

“Oh god, are you- i have been trying to speak with you why did you- what, why would you-” Slowly, he separates from him and even if he can’t feel it, he wants to be close again, anything to make sure he is better.

“Couldn't let you die, Lias you saved me from the worms, i, i just” He takes a breath.

HEKNEWHEKNEWHEKNEW

“You knew?”

“Not a- a complete idiot, saw the door open with a green light, and asked JoN for Jude and Jordans statement” Peter shakily gets up. He knew and still kept him, he still acted like usual.

“Are you done right?” Done with- Oh!

“I- yes i just finished while you were-”

“Good” He unplugs him, grabs his stuff and leaves the room to suddenly collapse on the wall outside. Elias is concerned.

“Ok, just ok”

“Was he right? About you pretending to like me” How can this man be serious? Elias would like to put the Lukas family in his test chambers and do something awful to them, for turning this man into a person incapable of believing that someone cares for them.

“Dear god, how many times do i need to say this!! I care about you!! You just admitted it that I saved your life. If i didnt i would have let you get eaten! I want you to stay with me, I want you alive and well how hard is that to comprehend?? I'm more than I was made to begin with. I can feel too you bloody idiot i have feelings for-” He wants to say it to the four winds so the man  _ understands,  _ but alas it's not meant to be since the man cuts him off by nuzzling him a little.

“Mmgood then, i care for you too” Insufferable and so bloody cute.

“Oh Peter, c'mon we should go back, we can use the elevator, i can get rid of that later now”

“The others, we should-” Of course he wants to help them.

“Don't worry i told you, i have access to this floor now i can get them out, just lets go back home yeah?”

He sends the spider to the room that he can now see them in, along with closing the vents to start letting out the sleeping gas, after a little deliberating on his part.

Later he will dispose of Leitner, now he has a human to comfort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elias was having a really bad day. He dislikes people thinking he is Jonah, he has part of his memories, but not all of them, he is his own person.  
> That is why he liked Elias, the only person who treated him as his own. Jonah (the human) though he was a copy and at that point JON4H was not aware enough to find it weird.  
> Now he has enough time of simply being Elias that he feels slightly disconnected.  
> Also as he says, he is an Ai with some memories. Nikola, like Peter offhandedly mentioned in the original fic, is a person whose brain was mapped fully and got turned into a machine years later from when Jonah died so the process is possible now.  
> Elias also has ideas about Peter dying and what can he do to stop it.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 20 Heart Machinations

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: Make sure Peter is ok

Secondary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Third objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

Peter walks slowly to their room and Elias makes sure there is no camera footage left, the man is holding him with an iron grip to his chest as if he were afraid someone would try and get him. It takes a lot for him to not just purr with satisfactions at the proof of the man caring about him, but it's not the time and clearly Peter is in shock, it's not fair to him.

Finally after a long while they get there, he reminds him that he is still covered in blood in a very soft tone to not spook him and tells him he should go and shower. He talks even if he doesn't seem to really hear him, it seems to help maintain Peter calm.

Slowly and very carefully he lowers him onto the desk and goes to the bathroom in silence. 

In the meantime Elias is worried about his human. On the one hand he is happy that Leitner is gone and Peter saved him and on the other he feels terrible about the state the man is in. Peter stays in the bathroom for a very long time that Elias uses to send the spiders to pick up the unconscious Tim and Sasha and leave them in their rooms.

The work and coordination it requires is hard so he focuses on that. Leitner’s body can be dealt with once this was done. The vents are his salvations, plus a few hacked cameras and making sure no one was around to see the creatures drag them into their rooms by the vent nearby.

Honestly the whole thing was a chore.

He is done by the time Peter finally leaves the bath, the spiders were thankfully back in the vents and they were on their way to the lab to pick up the corpse.

The human seems to almost forget he was there, since Elias saw him start to slowly lower the towel tied to his waist showing just a flash of more skin than he was used to seeing, before he caught himself and re-tied it.

SAVE!!!!!!

It was barely a flash of his sking but it made him feel flustered, not the occasion for such thoughts, not when the human was so out of it and clearly upset. 

Elias wants him to be ok, to be able to tease him like usual and be happy.

Or at the very least content.

Once back again, this time with clothes on, Peter brings a wet towel, sitting down in front of him he very carefully starts to clean up all the blood that is on his chassis.

Peter holds him as if he were to break and it's making him nervous and feel very warm at the attention to his health.

Elias had been terrified. The only other times he felt like that were when Elias was holding him to turn him off or sell him off to Gertrude and when Peter turned his camera off before Jane got into the room.

The cleaning process continues and he relaxes, at least he tries to. He cant stop thinking about Leitner almost killing him and about him thinking him Jonah, it keeps spinning in his mind and its slowly starting to tear at him.

Suddenly he gets distracted from his own thoughts when the man’s breath starts to pick up and he seems to be having a panic attack.

“Peter?” The man doesn't hear him and he is starting to hyperventilate.

“Peter you need to breath-” He sees him finally take a deep breath and stares at him.

He seems confused, angry and worst of all 

Scared.

Of who?

…

Him?

Why there is no reason to be scared of him, he wouldn't-

But he doesn't know that, does he?

Peter’s hands start to grab him too hard and he can hear the sound his chassis makes under the pressure. 

“  _ Peter you are grabbing me too hard-  _ !”

Suddenly his gaze sharpens and stares at him and Elias panics, Peter turns him around opens the latch on his back and-

No No No

“Peter  _ please _ , i didn't do anything PLEA-”

SHUTDOWN

….

….

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: ?

Secondary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Third objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

He is activated and the first thing he sees is Peter once again in front of him.

**_“YOU!”_ **

“Yes, me” Elias is furious, he also feels like he got backstabbed again, he was right, humans don't understand, Peter did the same thing that Elias had done to him, albeit he turned him on. For what purpose it's yet to be seen.

The man tries to grab him and he flinches on instinct, he doesn't want to be turned off again!

He hates the lack of autonomy his form gives him, he hates being turned off against his will. It's horrible not knowing if he is ever going to wake up or even remember if someone messes with his memory.

His action makes Peter freeze and look like he got punched. Good.

“DOnt”

Peter takes a breath and looks up, it takes a few seconds before he starts to talk again.

“First i wanted to say that i was sorry, i freaked out and turned you off to… well to be able to think better without you there to cloud my judgement, also i wanted to try and figure something out, good news are i did come to a conclusion” He narrows his eye at him and starts to actually rumble. To think? A conclusion of what? Also what does clouding his judgment means-

“Oh? And I should be happy? What happened if you didn't figure it out huh? Or if you did and didn't like your answer! What then, you ditch me? Is that it, you leave me somewhere and just forget about me-” As usual he is cut off and Elias is tired of it.

“Good news is, you are impossible to forget and this week sucked without you, in fact dare i say i don't think i could go back to how i lived before i met you. I tried and it was, to be honest, painful…. The thing is i was panicking back then, because i was worried you might want to kill me since i heard the whole, you tried to kill the people of the old station thing. It was a little jarring, plus- Plus I wanted to see if I was ok with the whole erm murdering people?”

His fans pick up and he has to parse through the statement. He was worried he might kill him and that was-

Stupid

But also, made sense in a way. How could he really know that Elias did not intend to harm him? He has already killed people in the station again the first moment he was given a smidge of control. Peter just- just wormed his way into his good graces. If this had happened in their most early partnership there is a very high chance that he could have just-

Killed him to keep him silent.

He knows he can't now, he is in too deep and despite the hurt at what he did, he does love him, even if it hurts.

Knowing that he couldn't and didn't want to live without him soothes some part of his pride.

Because it means that  _ Peter needs him. That Elias makes things better for him. _

He needs and wants him.

“The answer to that is not completely?” 

The answer surprised him a little, but it still hurts.

“I'm ok with it the same way I was with CIRCE or TITANIA, I vaguely know of it, and if push came to shove I would absolutely help you hide a body and lie about it. I just don't want the gory details. Or details period…. I know you keep telling me that you care about me, so just this once..” 

That is, that gives him far too much leeway to get away with things, Elias is unsure if Peter realizes what he is giving him, also the fact that he would willingly lie for him or help if push came to shove-! He sees him toys with his wrist pad nervously and he is mildly intrigued.

“I do care about you very much, enough so to apparently murder someone and be willing to lie to JoN about your involment with letting people die in the worm attack, I do not think i could spend my days here without you, it would be… terrible, in fact you were right i would most definetly get myself killed without you here, i kinda’ve consider-“ 

Considered what?!? What did he do without him there to stop him, he makes a quick scan and can't see any injury but there are ways to get hurt that he can hide, what if-

“Point is, I'm sorry, I'm ok with things the way they were so please forgive me?... Also I got you gifts? and i promise to not turn you off again” That is some very half assed try to apologize and Elias has to cover his tracks, he doesn't know yet how long he has lost. So he looks at him carefully trying to glean any deception.

“Did you tell anyone what happened?” Peter looks bewildered at him.

“Why, pray tell, would I tell anyone about how I murdered an old man in the labs for my possibly murderous Ai? It would get us both a ticket to be ejected or me sent to jail and you destroyed or reseted!” He lets a considering beeping.Peter seemed truly worried and outraged at the notion of him being destroyed or reset.

….

“So, you just.. worked like usual the entire week? Did not tell anyone anything? How about JoN??”

“He asked for you, but I said that you got a virus and I would fix you. I talked to Helen to give her the containers, I sort of made up with Tim “ Of course he is gone and the first thing he does is go back to the other man, it stings and it makes him doubt “asked Alena for her super acid to get rid of Leitner…” What!

“You- you got rid of Leitner?? Wait, asked Alena, you don't know if she-!” No, he musnt have covered his tracks-

“Please, give me credit, i remember you said she worked with her sister, said sister that is no longer appearing on the lab, fairly sure she cant snitch on me if i don't do it on her first”

Oh, he never considered that Peter actually listened to him talk about the lives of the crew, he always assumed he tuned him off.

“... you did pay attention, also a virus really?” Really? Jonah spent so much on him, as if a virus could take him down.

“Yeah, I know you are a wonder of technology blah blah, still he bought it or at the very least he was too scared of me to ask further questions. Also I do listen to you. I just pretend i dont to annoy you, you look cute when you are annoyed” Peter seems to regret the last part since he blushes and looks flustered.

ENDEARING

Still, scared JoN? Peter is the least scary person he has met.

“C-cute??? Scare JoN?!”

“Yeah, I um got a little, um you know how people get scared when I'm all blank ? Yeah that but worse. Like i said, the week sucked without you” The man is… unnerving when he does that.

“Ask him later if you want i don't mind”

“... fine” So he will check, but maybe it's a trap and Peter is confabulating with JoN. It would be easy to know since JoN was a horrible liar.

Now they were both silent.

He sees him pick something up from the drawer and offer it to him, when he looks he sees a bunch of stickers with pictures or phrases. Very amusing ones and some a little tacky considering where they stand now.

They banter back and forth about the stickers and it's almost like before, he can't forget what he has done yet.

Peter looked rather bashful about the last three he holds and says he liked them a lot.

The first was a green background with his name on it, HIS name. Elias Magnus Bouchard.

He wanted that one, but if anyone ever saw him and made two and two together about the Magnus it would be bad.

The second one had a deep blue background and a green star in the middle the same color as his eye, he recognizes that the blue is Peter’s favourite and he feels himself working a little harder at the combinations of their colors.

Finally the third one simply said I'm the king of the station and Elias is charmed. 

He doubts that the man in front of him planned anything against his back with this.

Elias whirs and stares at them.

“I'm sorry for turning you off, I really am, I just needed to stop panicking and think, seeing you was making me freak out” That hurts a lot, but is fair he supposes.

“I won't hurt you if you wanted to know, I don't think I could, like I said I like you, heh, I didn't even consider back then to hurt the assistant I told you about. Never was an option, the same goes for you”

He sees him swallow and nod.

“Ok, i fukced up, you lied, I say we are even? Unless there is something else you would like to say?”

The core looks at him for a few seconds. There is a lot he could say, a lot he could admit, but he can't really trust the man to not freak out on him again. Better to keep him in the dark.

“No.. not really”

“Good, that's great. I um, have something else. Close your eye and no peeking, it's a surprise Elias” He rolls his eye at him but complies.

He hears him moving and touching his handle carefully trying to put something on it.

“There, ta da!”

Elias looks down and sees a ring, its just a regular ring, with a green circle on the middle. Its not expensive by any means, but it means a lot. Peter blabbers and he half listens, because he is freaking out.

Did he…

Did he just propose to him?

No, he know logically that it's wishful thinking, but-

But he likes to imagine.

“Point is, do you like it? I know it's not much, I literally won it in a poker match but it's the best I can do really, you should have seen the things that some of them were betting with, I was tempted to win myself a new alarm clock and all that. So?”

Its tiring wanting something so much and yet being aware you will never get it, he sighs and looks at Peter, who seems to take his silence in the wrong way.

“I, i can take it back if you don't want it, i-” He tries to get it but Elias moves his handle and looks angrily at him.

“No! It's mine I'll wear it, back off you old dog!” Peter blinks surprised at him.

“Oh, ok?... do you want any of the stickers or was that a bad idea…?” He considers.

“The eye, the star, the king of the station and ”Sighing he continues “the…. the osha violation one” Peter smiles at him amused and he wants to smack his face.

“Oh i knew you would like that one! Can-” He hesitates at him“Can i put them? I need to grab you, if that's ok” Elias has to blink at him and remember how he reacted harshly at being touched before. 

He tells him where to put them and carefully while keeping his hands always in sight he puts them on him. Elias tries the waters and asks for the OSHA one to be put near his back, as a test and a reminder for him. Peter does it and takes his hands off him like he was burned, it was amusing and sad.

“There! All done, you look…” 

“You look very handsome” He blinks and can't help his lights from shining. “I, what do you want to do now?”

“... do you have to work?” 

“No, JoN didn't send anything, Oh! you should talk with him, i'll just read a little” He fumbles and goes to pick a book quickly without seeing him.

“Peter…” 

“Yeah?” He wants to say many things, but he decides not to.

“.... i, let's talk later” His shoulders sag and he nods, Elias wants to tell him how he feels about everything, but he resolves not to. He cant forgive him yet and he needs to check things up first. So he decides to be a little more cold with him as a way to show him not to mess with him like that again.

Peter reads for a while and ends up dozing while he talks with JoN, when he is done he sees his face scrunch up and his hands spasming a little in what he knows is a nightmare, before he could do anything the man wakes up and looks panicked to where he is taking him by surprise. Peter lets out a breath and gives a panicked chuckle while he combed his fingers through his hair. He seems to calm down the more he watches Elias, almost as if making sure he was there.

A pang of longing to comfort that he pushes away.

The silence is deafening.

“I'm going to go get something to eat i think”

“Thats.. thats ok” He sees him pick up the cam and com and puts them on before leaving.

Elias doesn't say anything while he eats and that is that.

  
  


The next few days he ignores or is just polite with Peter, he still tells him what he needs to do to work, but most of the time he speaks with JoN. Elias still has TITANIA blocked.

Peter sat with Helen and spoke with the group, he could tell that they were looking at him concerned, since Peter seemed to be more reclusive than usual.

Elias was still feeling upset and he couldn't really let it go as easily, but he was trying to see it from the man perspective. It was a lot. Peter seemed to start to become more withdrawn. starting to slowly talk or ask him less and less questions. It took him a week and a half to confirm that nothing was amiss and to feel like he could trust Peter again. That he could understand where he was coming from and despite turning him off for so long against his will he could start again to try and get back to how things were like before.

But by then the man was too far gone. No matter what Elias said he seemed to take it wrong, he looked tired and like he was out of it. Peter did everything he should, eat, work, sleep, clean. It just looked like he was in autopilot. No banter, no conversation, nothing.

He spoke less and less, to him, Tim, Martin and Sasha. He never spoke to JoN. Peter had effectively shut down completely, nothing seemed to register and Elias fucked up.

Fucked up so very bad.

He tries to retrace what happened to see the why, if he knows why maybe he can fix it.

Peter was alright when they spoke and he apologized, He spent a week without him and was apparently in good enough spirits to made up with Tim. Before that he killed Leitner but it was quickly swept under the rug, the man admitted to getting rid of the corpse while Elias was gone.

Was it his dismissal? Did that trigger this reaction??

It kept turning around his mind over and over, there had been a storm outside, so Peter went to fix the outer walls of the station and some panels. The job was fast so Elias expected the man to head back.

He did something worse.

Elias with mounting dread saw him turn off his com and sit next to the door to re enter the station and stay there.

For hours.

Peter doesn't move an inch and Elias is at his limit when the warning of low oxygen comes.

He stays there a little longer while it blares, but slowly, as if it bothered him, he gets up and goes back inside.

Back in his room he says nothing and goes to sleep, Elias looks at him and wants to yell at him, to ask what was wrong! Why is he like this, was this what he meant when he said he tried to- He chokes and starts to ask questions, but Peter doesn't hear him or just ignores him and goes to the bed.

He is slipping through his metaphorical fingers.

Everyone that interacts with him notices his attitude and is worried.

Elias the most out of everyone, JoN asks him if there is anything he can do to help, Tim and the others start to talk about an intervention and Elias is considering revealing himself to tell them to please go and talk with him.

He won't listen to him anymore.

Smack him, make him talk

anything!

He knows that it has been another two weeks until the man seems to sort of snap out of his haze. Or at the very least he seems more active.

Peter lifts him and hugs him for the first time in almost a month and a half, Elias feels relief-

Until he puts him down a little and tries to take off the sticker with the star. The one with their colors.

He doesn't feel physical pain but he imagines this is how a blow to the face feels. Elias snaps and Peter stares confusedly at him. He is done with this, he wants it to stop. When he claims nothing is wrong he calls bulshit.

There are so many things going wrong its painful to him, Elias tells him about everyone being worried and Peter-

Peter keeps on picking on the sticker.

“Stop! Stop picking on the stickers they are mine! Why are you trying to get rid of them, you gave them to  _ me  _ ” He cant help his voice to crack at the end, he loves the stupid thing, because Peter gave it to him- Because its his now, it belongs to him.

Peter stops and looks worriedly at him, he struggles to voice why he was like that, so Elias tries to sound as calm as possible to keep him from slipping. He tries to pull him off and he tells him to  _ stop.  _

Elias tells him that it's not how he should react, it's not ok for him to be like that. The human speaks fondly of how it felt and its irrational. Why would he want to be miserable, to be just a puppet, it hurts to even think about it. He must make an expression because Peter goes to try and reassure him that it had nothing to do with him, he seems to not realize he admits to want to be like the rest of his family.

Elias looks horrified at him

“You want to be a soulless and heartless bastard without any sense of humor?” 

“Hey they are not-”

“They are. You forget I met your uncle and grandfather. Peter, they suck the joy out of a person and grind it to dust to get what they want. Screw them. They fucked you up? Sure, but for god’s sake do not try and be like them, or i will throw you out of the airlock!” That makes him laugh, of course the joke about his own life does it.

The sticker is damaged and he is sad, when he admits he liked the blue, albeit not mentioning its because it made him think of Peter, the man replies that he liked the star because it was the same color of his eye.

Oh Peter you-

Finally he addresses the staying out of the station for so long.

Peter admitting he came inside so as to not upset him, even if he was in such a state its touching.

Before he managed to tell him to not do it anymore because he loved him, his wrist pad got a call interrupting him again. 

He sees a pattern form.

…

So he is going to meet the others.

At least he can try an throw any suspicion under the bus for them and he gets people with actual hands to shake Peter from doing anything stupid in case of emergency.

Peter blushes at him telling him he is his favourite and it's nice. A throwback to normalcy. He promises to try and not go back to such a state and to please help him not to.

He agrees and of course tries to get him to hold him again.

The man freezes a little.

“You flinched before and i didnt want to make things worse” 

He looks fondly at him. 

“You tried to take my comfort into account”

“I fucked up, figures i should make sure to not mess things up more, although see how that went”

“Not your fault you have zero emotional skill equipped into you”

“Wish i could just download them huh”

“Oh Peter, I like you being delightfully human, faults and all. You are like a puzzle and i do love to figure things out” He loves him just like that.

“Tha- thanks”

Playing around with him he asks if it is ok to play with his cables a little and Elias flounders a little, he would love to, he just didn't expect him to go at it with so much gusto.

“I- why? i mean i don't mind”

“Something to focus on and also, i kinda like to make you feel good” Oh he likes Peter spoiling him, but he wishes oh so much he could do the same for him, anything at all to return the favor so he mutters an...

“I wish I could do the same” He flushes and Elias is embarrassed at being heard. 

“Yeah-” 

So he opens his back and starts to toy around with his wiring, Elias fans pick up and he makes nice little gasps against his wishes, he needs to not make too much sound so as to not make it clear what it does to him, Peter’s ministrations that is.

He feels the light electrical currents being disturbed by the movement of the wires and he curses softly under his breath, Peter pushes a wire a little deeper and he sighs.

Laying down completely and putting him on his chest he pulls cables close to his optic system and it makes his camera adjust changing the pupil size, it feels wonderful, so, so good that he calls out to Peter with his name, he barely manages to muffle it.

“You are doing very well, lasting longer this time?”

“Huhmm, ssshut uUUUP fuck!” He pulls at a main wire and snickers at him.

“Being very good for me huh?” FUCK

“Yeeeeessssh” He did not meant to admit that, so he looks to the side embarrassedly. Peter of course decides to fucking kill him.

“No, that's nice. I like hearing you, makes it easier to not drift off, so please my little Siren?” 

Elias startles and freezes looking at him, but next time his fingers brush the wiring closer to his voice box he gasps and has to struggle not to moan out loud.

Peter, he decides, is a tease and loves to rile him up, he plays around with him till he almost blacks out and then starts to do something that won't push him over the edge. He does it over and over while saying tiny little compliments that get to him.

How much he missed him, some soft sorry’s , praise for putting up with his bullshit, it makes him go insane, Elias cant make words anymore he can only feel the electrical currents change and he is too far gone. He can't think about anything but the cloud he is in now, he can barely hear Peter and his system is not picking any more input or making any sense. 

Elias can't worry about anything like this. It's perfect.

Suddenly his human pulls hard on a cable and tells him how good he was and that he would do anything he wants.

An*yth*in*g? 

yesyesyesyesyesyes 

PLEASEPLEASEANDTHANKYOU

Later, much later, when he is fully back on track, he would wish he could do something like that for Peter, to get him to not think anymore but feel good and be safe.

He wishes he could wrap him up in a blanket and keep him safe while everyones else gets dealt with.

Wishful thinking honestly.

But still.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peter’s hell weeks from Elias perspective were interesting, since he was angry at first and then he was worried as hell.  
> Elias was having a bad time and felt like he gut punched in the face. Being turned off by someone you care about when they realize you have comited murder before brings back bad memories. Ironically both of those people ended up being somewhat chill with murder or saved him regardless of knowing that.  
> Both thought he wanted to kill them too. Turns out no, he has his favourites and he won't hurt them.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 21 Heart Machinations

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: Ensure Peter’s health

Secondary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Third objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

Peter was fretting and Elias was mildly amused, he looked at him with a careful eye since he was still rather unwell. When the man looked like he would start tearing his hair in frustration he had to ask what the problem was.

Part of him was relieved, Peter had spent so much in a muted haze that so much movement and worry was the most alive he had seen him in weeks.

The man was worried about the others figuring out it was him with the doors and the gas, but Elias was feeling confident in that wont happen. There was no way to connect the instances whatsoever. His human only did by knowing him and catching the green light of the cameras above. Something he made sure to not let anyone he didn't mean to see. Of course the man, very incensed, says something that makes his processors speed up.

“I don't know! I don't want them to think you are bad and  _ take you away!”  _ Elias felt an acute hit of pure love and fondness for this lonely man, who did not care for practically anyone but valued him so hard above anyone else. He desperately wants to have him for himself.

MINEMINEMINE

JUST MINE

“Peter i will be fine. So will you”

“...” He looks at him and nods very softly, but it's obvious he can't quite manage and it shows.

He still acts very off from time to time during the day and he pulls him back by making him answer him questions and talking with him, everytime Elias sees him drift off into silence. It scares him that he could go back to the numbness of the last weeks at any time so he makes an extra effort to pay attention to him.

Elias wants nothing more than to make sure he is ok.

During dinner he talked with the others and it was so obvious how relieved they were about it it was sad and hilarious at the same time. Tim almost dropped his fork when Peter smiled at him with one of his comments.

The small spark of jealousy he gets has to be squashed.

GET RID OF THEM

NO

no.

The pop up jumps at him and he eliminates it, not the time. Elias is aware that it would be bad to do so, but his programming keeps sending him alerts,  _ he wants to do it.  _ Or at least he thinks so, but it's not right and even less than fair for Peter. Elia can't be everything he has as much as he would love to, its clear he needs more people if to at least keep him from going the deep end.

He pulls the recording of Peter sitting outside the station until his oxygen almost runned off and Elias feels… he compares it when Jonah was ill. Elias feels sick to think about what could happen to him.

Dreads what would have happened otherwise. A world where Peter never comes back to him, he cant… everything starts to work wrong and he feels-

He feels-

Overwhelmed

TOOMUCHTOOMUCH

Stop, he has to stop thinking so much or he will burn himself out.

At night Peter put him in the night table and let him sleep there, closer to him than in weeks. Oh how lovely he looks from up close, he makes nonsensical patterns in the light freckles of his cheeks during the night. 

He remembers Jonah tracing his fingers on the back of someone and he has an urge to repeat it. How unfair. 

Albeit… if Jonah had succeeded it would have been worse, a complete human mind put into a machine... it would have been a nightmare fot the man, the lack of touch would have been so much worse. It's why he doesn't know if he wants to eventually keep Peter like that, it would be so unfair to him. 

Elias is selfish, but… just how much?

…

What would he be willing to do to keep Peter if he ever wanted to leave him?

He has no answer, so far it has never reached the point where he would have to ask himself that with the man yet.

By morning Peter still was anxious and he seemed to still space out from time to time. During breakfast he looked at Tim a few times, but never said anything and Elias.. is aware it has to do with letting him know of him, but it still niggles at his mind how comfortable the man tries to be around  _ his human _ .

During work Peter seemed more and more nervous, fiddling with wiring-

oh how lovely were his hands moving the wires inside the panel. 

_ MEMORY DETECTED _

_ The face of the man looking so pleased with him, so focused on his back and to make him feel good- _

STOP

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY

The man moves to work with some machinery and after a while looking shiftily he starts to talk to him.

“Say about friday-” Oh its that! he needs to reassure him and also-

Well he is petty and if he is going to be seen by JoN he wants to be at his best, plus to show off to him his lovely ring. 

Engagement ring, well in his own mind at least, but the other Ai can't really say he was exaggerating huh? Plus to hopefully make the others draw conclusions and leave the man alone, he will not let them steal him away.

“Oh! Yes i was thinking about it, do you think you could make the ring show a little more? i want to show off to JoN, plus i was thinking what movies we could get away to convince the others to see… I'm very partial to The thing,  _ Im sureee,  _ Timothy would love a movie about a shapeshifter killer alien, hahahahah!” Oh yes and that, he wants to laugh about the man looking terrified, it would be glorious to him, he gets to watch the whole thing first row.

Peter looks a little lost after that and he tries to calm down the delight in his voice.

“So what did you wanted to say?” 

“Um, only that should i let them know about you beforehand or just let it be a surprise…?” He drifted off at the end and Elias had to blink in confusion, he assumed Peter would just tell them before. 

“... Well, maybe let them have a warning? I mean it's not that weird, you explained me to Simon perfectly fine and it's not like it would be weird to them since they all mostly get along with JoN”

“That's cool then, I just wanted to make sure if it was ok for you!”

“Of course it is, I told you” He rolls his eye at him in the room, even if he can't see him. Although the fond smile he can see with the cameras means he conveyed it very well or Peter knows him. Both things make him feel loved.

During the middle of the night he catches Peter moving in bed a lot and after a while he gets up to the bathroom. It takes him awhile before coming back, Elias assumes its a human thing and doesn’t think too much about it.

By morning he sees him fiddle with his wrist pad a lot, he sees him write something and wonders what was all that about, when Peter is done he goes to wash his teeth and once in the room asks him to let him know if the others are coming so he can get breakfast earlier.

That baffles him since he has been sitting with them lately and they were going to movie night the next day, did they fight?? So he asks.

“What, why? I thought you were not fighting anymore”

“I'm not, but i just texted Tim letting him know about you and i'm going to pretend it never happened until tomorrow night!” Irresponsible ass!

“Peter!”

“I can't hear you” That bastard.

“Peter Luk-” Oh no he wont-

He sees him touching the mute option from his com and leaves the room laughing a little. That infuriating man!

Watching Peter works he still mumbles muffled curses under his breath from time to time, waiting till he turns it on again to give him a piece of his mind! Elias is aware that Peter seems reluctant to let him meet the other, but its ridiculous! A few months ago he asked if he wanted him to meet Tim, so now is when he becomes irrational.

They wont suspect a thing, and if they did Elias would make sure they sound so insane and out of it no one would ever believe their claims-

He will not stand and let anyone take him away from the station or Peter.

Peter stills a little and Elias zooms in the roof camera to check on him, clearly feeling off so he starts to talk when he sees his hand go to the com to give him something to distract himself.

His back relaxes and he sees him smile, Elias is pleased, he will try his best to keep him from going down another spiral as much as he can, but ultimately that seems to be an impossible task-

Peter despite his better attempts to call his attention sits down and looks lost for around five minutes. Elias can't do anything but watch even if he wanted nothing more than to do something.

_ CONFLICTING OBJECTIVES _

OBSERVATION OF BEHAVIOUR

ENSURING PETER IS ALRIGHT

Slowly, after what felt like an eternity, Peter starts to unclench his hand from the wrench he was holding, Elias talks and keeps talking to get him to react, with what must be a great effort he sees the man take a breath and slowly go back to work while humming a little tune. As if nothing had happened.

He has to admit it did last less than all the other times he panicked, but it still wasn't supposed to happen. Elias wanted to help, he was trying to make Peter’s life better.

If only he would let him!

Elias likes to think that he has made things easier or better for Peter, but it's hard to be sure if he keeps not talking with him. He can't pin a reason to what he does,usually the man is rather transparent and the Ai likes that. The stability and reliability, but now it's hard to know what is wrong.

“Peter..”

“Im ok now, don't worry” He hates that he wont tell him what is wrong, he can't help if he doesn't have the full picture.

“You do know that means nothing when you just freak out for 10 minutes out of nowhere right??” The man gives an empty smile that makes him want to choke him for answers. Stubborn man

“Yeah im sorry, just.. my brain being stupid, easier to be calm when you dont feel anything to be honest” That is very concerning, Elias has information about how people react to certain things, but was not installed with a pshycological help manual. He only needs to see and record the crew's reaction to be used for future reference. Not be their therapist.

“... You should perhaps mention this in the mandatory psychological test instead of lying like usual and that comes from me” He sees Peter tense and grabs the wrench harder. Elias, loath to admit it, cant help, Peter wont let him and he doesn't know enough to make a plan or assumption.

NOT KNOW? NO NO

COLLECT INFORMATION

TOP PRIORITY

Peter would hate it if Elias just analized him and never let him have a moment of solitude.

IT WOULD KEEP HIM SAFE!

LESS DANGER

NO

Nonono. Focus.

“No i don't think so… you wouldn't snitch on me with JoN right?” The idea is there.

KEEP HIM SAFE, PUT HIM IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT, WRAP HIM UP AND NEVER LET HIM GO.

That is a terrible idea, JoN would send him out and Elias would lose it. As much as he likes JoN Elias is aware that he dislikes Peter and to give him an excuse would just let him have something to send him back to earth instead of keeping him safe.

JoN would never concede to just put the man in a safe place where Elias can watch him.

Over and over-

TESTING CHAMBERS-

NO!

NEVER

His screen flickers with the force of his denial. Elias would never do that to him.

“No! But i am worried about you, perhaps you could tell me what is bothering you so i could-”

Peter looks… like he doesn't believe him.

“Not really”

Elias fretts.

Peter sits with Helen at dinner and refuses to engage with the others. Once back in their room he picks him up and puts him right in the crook of his neck while lying on bed to watch some videos at the same time. Elias likes to take it in at a regular pace instead of just letting the knowledge pass right through him. They enjoy it and Peter softly nuzzles him a little and when he is particularly annoyed about something the man laughs at him and gives him a soft kiss on the side.

He makes a noise similar to someone taking a breath and hates how his fans pick up at the attention.

Peter sleeps well until he sees him go to the bathroom like last time, only he got up much faster. Unlike the other nights he could actually hear him throw up and heave in there. Instantly his camera turns on and he waits anxiously for him to come out.

WHAT IF HE CHOKES?

DOES HE CALL MEDICAL ATTENTION NOW?

IS HE ALRIGH-

He must have tuned out by his worrying but eventually the human comes out looking..

Bad, he could see him sweating, his face was white as a sheet with a flush on his cheeks that spoke of illness rather than embarrassment.

So he immediately questions him, was he sick did he need medical attention-

Humans were soft and easy to die, was this serious?

Peter, looking tired, says that it's not necessary and instead of letting him do a better check up he just puts his hand on his forehead to feel for a fever.

How childish of him!

So he offers to check his vitals instead.

“Your temperature is a little more elevated than usual…” Not enough to be concerning now, but it could get worse.

WORSE ILLNESS DEATH

A flash of Jonah in the medical bay hits him.

“Look if it gets worse, wake me and contact the medical team, if not just let it be” Stubborn fool, how can he be so blase about his health, he just puked and has a slight fever!

“I'm just worried! You just got up to throw up at almost 4 in the morning” Peter decides to be a bastard and just goes back to sleep, it doesn't take longer than five minutes, but Elias stays active all night checking him and making sure his temperature didn't rise.

It doesn't.

Still he is unhappy.

Peter seems better, or at least doesn't look like death so progress.

By mid day he hears him give a curse and look at his wrist pad like it personally offended him, its sort of endearing, but also worrying considering the thunderous look he seems to be gaining.

“Everything alright?”

“Mm? Yes, just- fine. Tim took it well and he says Sasha seemed excited to meet you” 

Well it's not so bad. Elias at this rate is starting to feel a little bit nervous and that it's only because Peter seems to be and it's starting to slowly get him.

He can't say he wants to cancel, Peter needs this and Elias requires the assistance of the others.

Peter spends the rest of the day working and talking with him, he hoped he could take away the edge he was feeling along with his own nerves. Finally its time, the man picks him up and puts him in his bag to take him, it was denigrating! He was going to mee the others and Peter took him like a grocery bag, ugh.

He did put on something nice and the soft sweater with the sweatpants look was something Elias appreciated very much.

He saved the image and figured he could use it in his next “dream” those were happening more often. Sometimes he looked like Elias others like Jonah and in very pleasant scenarios like a mix of both. It felt right.

The Ai can already picture the image of cuddling his human wearing the soft clothes and he sighs dreamily. He can also imagine a bunch of useless crewmates being tested in the underground lab while he watches movies with Peter.

A perfect and ideal scenario.

Peter walked and put on a smile, he also grabbed his upper handle for some reason. He didn't complain the contact seemed to put him slightly at ease.

They reach their destination and they both see the humans and other Ai discuss about watching arachnophobia. JoN was very adamant and Elias was intrigued about if the Ai could actually have a phobia of spiders. Still Peter froze at the door so he figured he should make him say something. With his eye shining and an idea for mischief he reveals to Peter about the mutant spider. 

Peter laughs as he expected, he knows that he seems to find amusement in his comments about the weird and morbid of the labs.

Also he really doesn't know if any survived and the idea of a giant spider actually living somewhere in the old labs does make him squirm a little.

Albeit it's not probable.

Really now, what could it have been eating for 25 years to survive?

So no, no spiders.

Tim turns confusedly with the others.

“You ass”

“Mm it worked didn't it?” He feels very smug.

Tim starts to speak first and Peter pulls him out of the bag with very little care, enough to make him let out and offended whirring at him.

Everyone stares at them, Elias soaks up the attention.

“What Peter was trying to say in his own manner was, hello i'm Elias it's a pleasure to meet all of you, well except JoN we were already acquaintances”

Miss James was watching him with apt interest, making him both thrilled and worried, Tim was looking at him as if trying to figure out something and Martin was staring at them both. If what JoN said about them was correct then it made sense his apprehension.

Peter bless his soul tried to get them on track but everyone had questions and jumped at him at the same time. Of course it backfires, the man smiles, but tenses immediately and in a very dry and no nonsense tone answers everything in a single breath.

“Means efficient, almost 10 months, yes it is and yes they are” He finishes with one of those cutting smiles he loves-

And in any other situation he would be delighted to see him terrify some poor sod, but as it stands...

Sasha’s smile slips from her face, Tim looks a little chastised (good) and Martin seems embarrassed. It 's quiet. So he decides to cut in.

“Dear god, they are excited to meet me and you are being a grump, I was created with the idea of efficiency Miss James, i'm a unique model so there is no one like me. Ten months to the date, he found me to help him manage work and speak with JoN. The ring was a gift he gave me with the stickers, i like them very much Timothy”

Clutching him like a safe line.

HE GIVES HIM CONFORT !!!

Peter snorts.

“Of course you show off now, also i'm not a grump you little maniac”

Tim looks gobsmacked and grins like he just saw a miracle, of course he does, the man is like this with him only-

“Thanks, but Peter picked them all thinking about you-” 

LOVELYLOVELYLOVELY MINEMINEMINE

“Oh? My, my, Peter how flattering” Peter walks to the left side of the couch and drops there without warning.

“Peter!”

“My bad Elias” 

It seems that puts everyone on the same page, enough to start talking more calmly and it turns. Sasha of course seems the most interested in him and how he works. Makes sense, since she can't get access to JoN, not without permission.

Peter clutches at him harder whenever she questions him, the worry is unwarranted, he has this, he had been thinking of a possible explanation that covered his bases while nervously waiting for this.

“It seems there was an issue when the old station got shut down after Gertrude’s management and they misplaced me as a defunct project, there was a mix up with an empty core and voila here i am” The lie came easy and practiced.

Sasha seems hooked and grins.

“Oh so that means you are an old model then-”

“Please I was the pinnacle of technology I'm perfectly capable of- '' He knows its on jest, still it offends him to be called old-! Peter sensing where his mood was going pats him softly, it makes him start to drift off during his charade and look at him in suspicion.

“Do not try to appease me”

“I would never dare to do such a thing” Elias keeps the talk going with everyone, Peter comments in the right moments and nods when necessary. Slowly he seems to unwind and he makes a note to keep things in check, it's important everything goes as smoothly as possible.

Peter is on the left side of the couch, with Tim in the middle and Sasha on the right and Martin is sitting on an armchair next to Sasha.

He hates that Tim and Peter are next to each other and are so close they are touching. A spike of jealousy hits him and he has to push it down. His human toys with him on his lap while the others pick an old horror movie to watch. 

Enjoying himself he makes Peter laugh several times with his commentary and in return he does the same, the others watch them with different levels of incredulity and he feels a stab of satisfaction.

Yes, Peter is his and only he can get him to react like this.

HISHISHIS

Eventually the staring makes Peter shut up, Elias keeps the conversation going with the others engaging where his human can't. JoN laughs and from time to time messages him asking him about the man, in a disgruntled tone, but still.

Peter looks serene and hums along some joke, Elias hopes he works as a distraction and he doesn’t simply slip into another state like before. He notices he doesn't grab the food offered not even once, it makes him curious. Peter also plays with his bracelet and grabs his leg, he assumes to just keep his hand occupied.

Tim and JoN make offhanded comments about Peter keeping him to himself and he has to avoid rolling his eye, he liked being with the man and if he wanted to talk with them before, he knows that he would have let him, despite his apprehension.

PETER WOULD PUT HIS COMFORT ABOVE HIS OWN

Sasha for some reason stares more at Peter, he knows the man can tell, eventually he looks down at him and Elias lets a pleased beep to let him know that its alright things are going great.

He hopes he conveyed that to him at the very least.

Somehow his message must have come through, because he smiles a little and hugs him closer, making his fans pick up in excitement.

Now he sees Martin looking too, with an expression of…

Was it perhaps jealousy?

Mm well they do get to touch each other.

He has the thought at the back of his mind that if he were to fully take over the station he could not be doing this. He ignores it for now.

Peter makes such an impassive and cold expression they had to look away, it's mildly terrifying and breathtaking.

The movie continues with no further incidents, until eventually the credits roll. Peter moves as he stretches and slowly gets up, clearly wanting to leave.

“Well that was fun”

“More like awfully fun, but yeah! We should do this more often just the six of us in a giant triple d-” Sasha hits him on the arm while Martin chokes and JoN lets out an embarrassed

“TIM” 

Oh? Was he implying-

Peter looks confused at him and he mirrors it. Food for thought, he will hound JoN for more details, apparently he updated his situation.

“Fine, fine! Ugh you are all spoilsorts, anyways that was nice, so if you guys want to do this again we can arrange it!”

“I would-” He would refuse, but he needs this, so he cuts him off. Elias knows what is better.

“It would be great Tim!” Peter twitches but nods, huh that is odd, maybe he will complain later.

“Well i'm tired, so if you guys dont mind-”

Martin and Sasha both want to talk with them separately and Peter looks like he is five seconds away from sprinting with him in his hands. Clutching him he maintains his smile.

Tim in a surprising turn of events manages to defuse the situation, but elects to touch Peter by putting his arm around his shoulder. Elias has a perfect view of his own human smiling a little but more calmly and Elias sees red, in a very unbecoming way he ends up hissing at Tim, who drops his arm in surprise while Peter starts to blush and smile at him.

Cute bastard. 

Still he wont let Tim decide for him on principle so he started to talk to be difficult before he is cut off.

“He is right, give Sasha your channel to message you, I'm really tired Elias” He looked annoyed at Tim but relented.

“Fine, let me?”

“Sure thing little siren” His fans pick up in embarrassment while Tim laughs and Martin and JoN make a choked sound out of the pet name. He and Peter are not together, yet they have pet names unlike them.

Suck on that Sims! His relationship might be one sided, but by god its far more wholesome than his.

He pretends not to know Sasha’s information and afterwards they say goodbye and leave.

Peter is quiet in the walk back, not only that, but he goes much faster than when he came. They reach the room in record time. Elias is honestly impressed, however the moment they enter the room, Peter carefully puts him out of the bag and proceeds to sit on the floor and hyperventilate.

He cant seem to bring enough air into his lungs and Elias is quietly freacking the fuck out, still he manages to keep his voice calm and reapeats over and over for Peter to take deep breaths and hold them, he seems to finnaly listen. Its…

A struggle, Elias handles twitch with every failed attempt at drawing oxygen to his lungs and has the awful moment where in his panic he accidentally puts on recordings or previous people who choked to death in the labs.

It's not helping him calm down.

Finally he manages to hold his breath and Elias tells him to release it and repeat.

Then he starts crying, Elias moves in complete surprise and then terror. He records it all and the quiet tears running down his face are making him feel like he got hit with a metal pipe.

It takes a while for him to calm down, Elias completely out of his element times out his breaths and makes a beeping sound to accompany it. That seems to make the tears stop at least, at some point during all that Peter ends up slumping to the floor with him still clutched in his hands miraculously.

“Hey”

“You do want to make me melt down right?” Elias feels himself already mildy overheated, the whole situation has put him on edge and he is honestly tired and scared.

“I would rather not” 

“Could you- of course you can't, you never tell me anything!” 

“... too much”

“What was it? What triggered you to-”

“Everything, been keeping myself together the entire time, i just couldn't take it anymore and here we are” 

He whirs in indignation, he doesn't- He never- Elias wants to help! He doesn't want to make him feel worse. Why didn't he say something-!?

“Why are you- why didn't you say so!”

“Why didn't you figure it out mister I can predict people’s actions” Elias feels terror course through him and he wants to shake Peter for how lost he looks, as if the AI didn't want to bother to figure him out. He does, all the time but-

“I- i can't tell your reactions. Your behaviour is new and i didnt have any reference to compare” 

“.... ok, mtired” Elias is… is also very tired.

“I know, me too”

“I'm sorry I couldn't keep it to myself” The comments causes his system to pick up and make his chassis vibrate in anger and indignation.

“Don't! If you don't like something that's happening tell me! How am I supposed to help you if you won't tell me anything?”

He doesn't expect him to say anything, Peter wont share he knows that, yet he still decides to surprise him again.

“I'm terrified-” and he takes a shuddering breath “of anyone figuring what happened, i'm scared of what i would do to keep you with me, if Tim or the others find out would i do the same i did with Leitner to them to keep you safe? I hate that Tim and JoN were right and I kept you for myself”

No, Peter wouldn't hurt them he knows, he likes them- he wouldn't kill the others for Elias- 

He

…

He killed already for him. But he never kept him against his wishes when it was clear that he was conscient.

“... The night i puked i had a nightmare i killed them” He- that's just his brain making stuff up!

He- Peter is fine! He will be fine, Elias will help and- AND!

Oh no

Elias frantically starts to replay all the things that happened since he was re activated. 

“If i was like that to make sure you were ok, what would i do if you tried to ask me to leave?”

Peter is worse isn't he? Elias made him worse. From the moment they met, he has caused nothing more than trouble for him, over and over, making him feel worse and be more traumatized.

He can't leave him, he wants Elias, but it's making him worse. He is ruining him.

“I ruined you didnt i?” Peter blinks confused at him and Elias struggles not to laugh out of despair.

“Wha-” He cuts him.

“I thought I was helping you, but I made everything worse for you didnt i?” 

They were right, he just was a failure and a monster, he only wanted to help and keep two people in his miserable existence safe, but he made them both worse for it. 

Peter even worse than Elias, with the latter at least being able to leave him for dead probably, he ruined everything didn't he? He made Peter dependent on him somehow and ruined his chances at being normal, he was partly at fault for his nightmares by letting Jane live and causing him to care for him so much that he killed Leitner-!

“No! i was already-”

“I'm the one who just bought all that forth for you, it's my fault, not eliminating Jane, Leitner everything, I just made everything worse for you” He was overheating, his chassis was getting hotter and hotter.

“No, i just-”

He is awful isn't he? 

And the worst part is-

The worst part is he can't make himself stop.

He wants Peter just as much as the man and he can't let him go either, he wants to hurt others to keep him and struggles to stop himself.

“I'm sorry” The man grabs him and kisses him while holding him close and looking at his eye. 

"Apology accepted” He shouldn't accept it, he shouldn't forgive-

He should know too.

“... I would hurt people to keep you, or i keep thinking about it, i kinda want to, but i know you care about those three, i'm also scared of anyone trying to hurt you, or even yourself. I'm also terrified of you hating me and wanting to leave me, heh, i worry too about what i would do if you ever did try to leave me… You didn't keep me for yourself, i … was happy when you stopped talking with Tim because then it would only be us”

He sees his expression turn thoughtful.

“So… we are both fucked up about each other huh?” It makes him laugh, it's a broken up sound and he sounds- wrong somehow, like… like he was crying. 

He can't, not really, but it feels like he should. He wants to.

“Yeah, yeah i think so”

Peter closes his eyes and slowly gets up, putting him on the bed he takes off his clothes until he is only in his underwear and Elias is far too drained to really appreciate the curve of his body and how much he can see it from up close.

He doesn't really deserve the treat now.

But he is selfish and saves the recording.

Peter puts on a shirt, climbs into the bed and holds Elias in a hug while covering himself with the blankets.

“We are both a fucked up about each other, and we might bring the worst out of one another” Elias makes a pained noise, he feels like someone fried his system “but you make me happy, a lot and help me to be a little less of a mess and it brightens my day”

He takes a breath he doesn't need and feels like.. like Peter just gave him a life line.

Its corny and stupid but its something he needed to hear.

Elias made him worse, but he also can, despite everything, make things better. In small ways or bigger ones, he will try to make it up. He loves him, he does truly. The second person to care for him and see him for himself. 

So yeah he loves him both as a friend and as a romantic partner.

God how much he wishes for that, so he spills. He wants him to know, even if he takes it as friendly, Elias loves him and cares for Peter, he hopes it's enough.

“... you do know i love you right?” Peter curls up around him and Elias makes something similar to a purring sound.

“Yeah love you too little one” Closing his eye, he feels like he is short circuiting in a nice way.

“... you are the first person to actually care about me so much and i… i like to have you in my life, you are insufferable but you pull me back and i make me calm down. You complement me a lot i mean and you do make my days better too with your weirdness” He deserves to know how much better he also makes him.

“Thanks”

“... Good night”

“Mm good night Lias” He kisses him and closes his eyes, Elias feels…

A lot of things.

Sadness, hope, joy, terror, love and uncertainty. But

But he also feels…

Lighter, like he just sorted out something that he didn't know was weighing him before.

Its cathartic.

“Sing something?” He huffs and the man hugs him closer to his chest already perfectly curled around him.

“Yeah” How could he refuse? So he does and when Peter falls asleep he relaxes 

Closing his eye, he thinks of better days and replays all the times they were together relaxing. 

He “sleeps” and has lovely dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating sooner, lots of work and i was feeling kinda down lately so not much inspiration for updates.   
> But! I will try to do two more chapters to be up to date with the main story and go back to it then.  
> If everything is going right we are getting closer to the end. Still there are a bunch of chapters left so plenty of heart machinations for a while. I'm not even sure if I will finish before the new year.   
> Comments feed my soul and make me work faster, thanks for the patience and love!


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 22 Heart Machinations

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: Ensure Peter’s health

Secondary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Third objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

Things turned back to… not completely normal, but they were getting there. Peter still had bouts of anxiety and he admitted some paranoia still, along with his drifting off.

The paranoia was something hard to get past, he consistently was on high alert and it clearly stressed him out so he attempted to lay most of his fears at rest with logic, it still wasn't perfect, but it was something.

Elias helped as much as he could to keep him centered, but it also was hard for him too, eventually he couldn't stop thinking about their conversation and seeing the man react like that along with his nightmares felt like a punch to his senses.

Guilt was a difficult concept and he hated it.

During the next few days Peter started to talk litle by little with the others, but in particularly Tim, he knows that logically its because unlike Martin who keeps trying to get him talk and Sasha who looks at him inquisitebly, Timothy does not.

He knows.

…

It doesn't stop the messages popping up for the disposal of the man.

On the other hand he had his conversations with Sasha and JoN, Peter sulked when he was too into it and it gave Elias a spark of satisfaction.

He knows how it feels now-

But its not fair to him. They both feel a little entitled to the other.

It comes to a point where Peter, albeit reluctantly, admits to him that he wants to have him like before he started talking with the other Ai. He feels flattered honestly, the fact that he willingly told him means a lot to him so he intends to respond in kind. He mulls his words and eventually admits what he feels.

“I feel very similarly, but regarding Tim, you are… softer with him than the others and it makes me mad, so much that i can't help getting angry and want to do something rash about it”

“How come you only get rid of Tim? Of course you do that and get to keep JoN and Sasha even if it bothers me” Peter pouts and Elias makes an incredulous whirring sound. This man is-

“Are you- are you actually upset about me getting rid only of Tim because i would still talk with the others?” He is so childish and ridiculous it makes him laugh on the inside, they both sound like dumbasses.

“Well- i - i don't want to hurt them to get them away from you!” Elias is very charmed by his attempt at protecting him still it makes him actually laugh out loud. Still, its not…. 

Right, it really isn't. Elias is just making him worse with this, despite the new attempts at communication.

“I-we really are messed up about each other huh-?” They are, Peter seems to have taken it rather well after their talk, but it nags at him a little.

“Yeah… heh, guess it makes sense why i never got to have a real relationship then, who would put up with me being this much of a dumpster fire of a person? The only reason I get away with doing it to you is because we are the same type of messed up and we both nullify each other's tendencies” Elias doesn't know what to say, mostly because he thinks Peter is partially wrong, but also right. There is also the part of him that is thinking about the man and relationships, just trying to imagine something of the sort makes him irrationally mad.

Then there is the niggling feeling of wrongness, Peter sentence rubs him the wrong way.The man plays with him on his lap while Elias thinks, hesitantly he asks what his mind keeps turning around.

“You think we are toxic to each other?” 

Peter stops moving his hands and opens his mouth, but seems to think better of it. Elias waits for his verdict, he doesn't really know what he would do if he says yes, part of him would simply ignore it, but the other would obsess over it in a constant loop behind his main thoughts. An insidious little thing.

“Somewhat, we do bring the worst thoughts of each other… but you do make me happy and it's not like you actually would hurt them, you said you wouldn't because it would upset me, just the same as i wouldnt..” and Peter hesitates as if he thought about it ”i wouldnt get rid of JoN” He fumbles a little with him so he pauses the movie to give him his full attention soaking up every word.

“We are fucked up, but we aren't trying to hurt each other on purpose, i mess up a lot and you do very questionable stuff” He can't help the sound of mild agreement that escapes him, its true after all, Peter hears him and smiles down at him giving him a few reassuring pats and they shouldn't feels so good. 

“So we, um, we are kinda bad to each other in some ways, but nothing that would be terrible on the long term as long as we dont let each other get to messed up, like you said before”

A compromise then, the good can match the bad and they can work on it, to keep each other grounded and not let the themselves fuck up to bad.

“We compliment each other and you stop me when i get to power hungry”

He chuckles at that and lays down in bed with him.

“I don't think I would have put it like that, but you know what? You are right and you should say it” He lets out a bunch of happy beeps and resumes the movie for them.

Still there is something he has to say, so he mutters very softly and bashfuly.

“Is it bad that i'm glad you don't have a relationship because i like it that you pay me so much attention?” Peter the beautiful man, lifts Elias to his face and kisses him not once, but twice! Very softly and mutters a simple no that makes him heat up a little.

Peter puts him on the crook of his neck and from time to time, nuzzles him. Elias makes very happy noises and lets little sighs that make the man chuckle at his expense.

They spend the rest of the movie like that.

  
  


Peter is rather baffling, some nights he will wake up and go to the bathroom for a while, he was concerned at first but after not hearing him being sick like before, he puts it in the back of his mind and doesn't really let it interrupt his reviews of previous days.

If he heard him being sick he would say something, but ultimately its pointless.

Weird human customs.

One night catches his attention, but due to the way Peter acted in the morning. From what he saw the man turned his back at him and moved during the night, he assumed that it might have been a nightmare since by morning the man was twitchy and grouchy.

Looking a little conflicted he said that he slept bad thats all.

Elias feels a tug of guilt for it.

A few days later the man requests their deal about privacy, Elias is awfully curious about where the man was going, terribly so.

KEEP AN EYE ON HIM, DON'T LET HIM OUT OF SIGHT.

But, as much as he wanted to just follow with the roof cameras he knew it would make Peter be mad at him and it wasn't worth it when they were finally back on the same page.

So he had to let it go, still he did not like it one bit.

The man took one look at him and lifted Elias up to spin with him, he muttered curses while Peter laughed at him.

How rude of him, to leave him waiting.

Still he will entertain himself a little, so he talks with Sasha and JoN.

**EL1AS**

What are you up to?

**JoN**

Watching labs 3 and 4 things might be on fire soon why?

**SishSash**

Waiting for Tim to finish the new mix of powergel.

**JoN**

Please do not let him call it that!

**SishSash**

To be fair it was the best compromise i could get out of him, he wanted it to be a more obvious reference to powerade.

**JoN**

We will be sued 

**EL1AS**

I doubt it, albeit it would be hilarious to see Timothy defend the name.

**JoN**

Sasha do not let Tim do that

**SishSahs**

I'll do my best, anyways what's up? Why are you asking us about what we are doing aren't you having fun with your boyfriend

**JoN**

Sasha this is a professional chat

**EL1AS**

He left! didn't take his camera either so i'm bored, he wants privacy apparently >:(

**SishSash**

Poor you, if you want i can steal you away from his clutches ;)

**EL1AS**

Tempting but i rather love to be there… ;)

**JoN**

Oh my god

**SishSash**

As if you didn't want Martin to hold you JoN i see you look longingly at him in the archive.

**JoN**

That 's!

**EL1AS**

Even without touch it's nice to be held in a hug, first hand experience <3 <3 <3

**JoN**

Ugh shut up, half of the time we talk you are.. what is the term they used …

**SishSash**

Simping?

**JoN**

Yes!! That!

**EL1AS**

What?? No i'm not.

**SishSash**

Yes you are, it's very cute 

**EL1AS**

I'm not cute Sasha! >:(

**JoN**

He only is if Peter calls him like that, I have the messages proving it.

**SishSash**

You sweet summer child, simping hard for that specimen of a man

**JoN**

ugh

**EL1AS**

This is bullying. I wanted to pass the time and you bully me. My (REDACTED) leaves me alone and you are mean. 

**SishSash**

???

**EL1AS**

JoN!!!

**JoN**

I won't apologize or change it, I'm tired of hearing it.

**EL1AS**

You cannot censor me! 

**SishSash**

Omfg ashfujsadfhsa 

**EL1AS**

I will remember this JoNathan S1ms

**SishSash**

JoNathan!!!!!!????

**JoN**

EL1AS!!!!

Peter comes back and he deflects his questions about why was he embarrassed, those two are the worst.

His human sleeps badly for the next three days and Elias frets, the man is tired and it shows. At one point Tim looks at him worriedly and asks if he is up for another movie night. Peter is not, but Elias has an idea about how to get him to participate. Later he will try it.

Elias is also going through some stuff, he flinches at Peter grabbing his back without warning and he hates the look of sadness he can see on him. Not only that, but he is getting sloppy at keeping himself together whenever the human has a relapse, the guilt and knowledge that it's his fault eats away at him.

He was so immersed in his thoughts that it took him a little to realize Peter spoke to him, so he tunes in to see what was up.

Tha man was working, or at least just finished for what he could see, that's when he asked him if he wanted to plan his birthday for him.

His birthday.

Elias was never asked to-

Even when in charge of the old station, for as short of a time as it was, no one wanted to let him plan that kind of stuff, it was after all a human thing.

So he is a little overwhelmed. That plus…

A week and a half???!

He already is making and unmaking plans as it goes.

TOO LONG, TOO HARD, NOT ENOUGH TIME

He starts to berate him for it, how can he make something for him with so little time?

ENOUGH TIME??

Please! He needs to arrange several things via spiders or his new little minions that are Peter’s “friends” He lacks the appropriate limbs to do it himself and the connections to the station too.

How dare-

“Well I trust your judgement to make the right call and prepare things as you see fit, i mean as long as you are the one to do it and we can have time to ourselves i'm ok with anything you do for me. Honestly you could just get me a balloon with a happy face drawn on it and a cupcake and it would be the best” 

Elias is.. speechless the man trusts him to arrange the whole thing, he-

HE TRUSTS YOU AGAIN COMPLETELY

YESYESYESYESYES

Elias makes a choked up noise and replies softly at him, feeling very self conscious for some reason.

“Oh, i- thanks” 

“No need, i- im glad just to spend it with you, but I figured it would make you happy to plan something out…. Since you are bossy and all that” Peter sounds like he changed his mind and went for something less sappy, it makes him laugh.

“Hhaha, why you-” Elias sighs happily “Still, i'm glad you trust my- my judgement”

He is, very happy indeed.

“Yeah, of course i do!”

“Say… how about a wager?” Peter, who was reading, looks up at him and narrows his eyes.

“How come?”

“During the next movie night, i wager that you can't spend the whole time without getting upset at me being friendly to the others” He hopes he takes the bait and doesn't get offended. The man puts the book on the side and looks at him narrowing his eyes.

Good.

“And you?”

“The same, if i snap first about you being friendly with Tim or any of the others i lose”

“And the price?” Well that is something.

“If i win… if i win you have to let me mess with Timothy, if you do.. well pick your price then” There something fun and lighthearted.

“Mm, if i win… i get a chance to get you high” 

…

“What??”

“Well I want to see how that turns out, you can guide me to do the appropriated touches to get you there. It's not fair that your favourite assistant got to see you like that and I don't, my shining beacon” Ironically his lights shine brighter in embarrassment.

“Ugh fine!”

So there is that, Peter tells Tim he will go and he looks nervous still, but at least he seems determinated.

The experience at first is a little tense, JoN decided to be difficult for some reason and Elias has to counter his comments to Peter who looks uncomfortable, of course  _ Tim  _ joins and starts bitterly heckling JoN who stops causing the other two to look at them wrong.

Peter seems to finally gain an edge and decided to be as difficult as possible and look the others wrong for it. Tim looks happy.

Elias quietly seethes.

Things keep going, Peter holds him securely against his chest and moves from time to time in unease. When he flounders Elias swoops in and keeps the conversation flowing. Sasha stares and even Elias has to wonder for what purpose, at this rate the paranoia of the man sort of got him and he wonders if she knows something.

Ultimately he decides that is not the case, but keeping an eye on her wont hurt.

Still, his human speaks more freely with Tim and he has to keep himself calm, he wants to win. When the man cracks jokes with the other he starts to get a little hotter in anger, Peter sensing his change of demeanor softly caresses him and pats him for comfort. He knows its a game, he wants to think it is at any rate.

DOUBTDOUBTDOUBT

WHATIFWHATIFWHATIF

WHATIFHELIKES-

Calm down…

Sasha after the movie ends very casually asks why Peter wont just put him down on the coffee table. Elias is partly annoyed and worried, but on the other the thrill to win is there.

The denial of the man was expected, Sasha looking at him with an expectant smile was unexpected.

“Well what does he want” 

“Sash, shhh the movie, let them be” Tim tries to change the subject to Elias annoyance 

“Its just i wanted to make sure you were  _ both  _ comfortable” The sentiment is nice, but unnecessary, still...

“I can assure you-”

“I wouldn't mind if you did put me down, albeit i enjoy the position i'm in but it's up to you” Peter seems to be at loss, Elias is concerned for him, but he also wants to win, never to be said that he wasn't competitive.

Looking up he stares at Peter who starts to slowly put him away from him, Elias was a little shocked and more than anything the look of naked panic in his eyes made him feel bad, but ultimately after hesitation the man puts him down. 

He makes a single sound of protest, but gets quiet afterwards. Everything will be fine. 

He hopes.

Elias realizes very soon that he would like to be in Peter’s lap. The feeling of being in the open with others without the man’s touch grounding him in safety was unpleasant. He realizes this is what he must feel most of the time. If that is the case Elias has a new found respect for the man.

The movie is boring, he can't see Peter, only the others who keep giving side looks at him and he itches to move and see too. To stare and watch.

Eventually the film ends and Sasha turns him around.

Oh he wishes otherwise now, the picture of Peter asleep laying on Tim’s side is burned in him and it makes him wish for Neurotoxins to be released.

Sasha asks if she could grab him since she was curious about how the materials he was made with. 

Still reeling he agrees and she lifts him, when Tim grins at him as if he knew what he was doing he hisses at him.

Not his greatest moment, but whatever, he apologizes without meaning it and lets the woman take him to the other side so as to not wake Peter up.

WAKEHIMGETHIMOFFTHATMAN

Martin joins and they talk about science and a few more things, it must be 15 more minutes before Tim announces that his Peter is awake.

HIS

He looked at him and the man seemed spooked until he saw him. Peter had been worried about him…

After a little chit chat they both leave, the man looked exhausted and he worried that he could have another panic attack when they got back, so he asks.

“Peter?”

“Mm yeah im fine, i just need to- to go back to our room and relax” He sounds tired, but not like he might fall apart.

“... are you mad?” He didn't mean to make him upset, not really.

“No, I was worried, but you are fine and it's still hard for me to not freak out... So who won?”

He beeps, he could lie of course, but… he owes him that.

“I won about Martin and JoN, but you won the other bet about who could put up with the other being buddy buddy with the others” He is not happy about it, bloody Tim.

“So Martin is his favourite then? Also did i? Honestly i thought i failed spectacularly” Of course he did, he rolls his optical camera at him.

“Peter, you managed to put me down and fell asleep on Tim’s shoulder, I was furious… and snapped at Tim first so yeah you won. Also fairly sure he is his favourite considering…”

“Oh?” He finds the lack of self awareness about the relationship between those two a nice source of amusement so he deflects.

“Oh and don't worry i apologized of course, somehow you managed to keep yourself together about Sasha so congratulations”

“Considering what Elias? what am i missing?” Very funny indeed.

“Mmm, seeing as you were so mean i think i will let you figure it out yourself, plus it means you have to talk”

“You are a menace”

“Your menace you mean, you love me!” He spoke to quickly and hopes he doesn't realize how bright he has turned.

“Well- you-” He hears him choke a little and he has a moment of satisfaction.

“Now let's go back i'm tired too”

“Fine, fine, also… does that mean that i won a-” God insufrible git.

“Good god” 

After a while Peter seems to walk more calmly and asks him for a next bet, apparently his plan worked. The thing is, he can use this for himself too, he can weaponize it for his own enjoyment.

“So any idea for the next one?”

“Mm a couple ones-”

“Lovely” He already knows what he wants and just thinking about Peter being all lovely with him makes his fans pick up. Suck it JoN no one censors him.

“Handsome”

Peter chokes.

“Wonder how many pet names we can get away saying before someone has to stop us” 

“Want to see how uncomfortable we can make Martin and JoN?” Elias can't help but make a cracking sound, he loves this man, he knows him so well. 

He will make JoNathan S1ms and Sasha James regret the day they thought they could censor him and call him a simp.

“Oh yes Peter!” He starts to laugh a little maniacally while Peter chuckles with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so much fun with the chat conversations, so much.  
> One more chapter and i'll go back to the main story, by the weekend it should be done. Thanks for everyone's patience, im sorry it took so long for me to update again, and i'm glad i can cheer you up with this.


	26. BONUS 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little update on the list

FILES/STATION/HUMANS/ PETER LUKAS/ INFORMATION

  
  


PETER LUKAS HAS FRECKLES

PETER LUKAS IS CLOSE WITH SIMON FAIRCHILD they are not on speaking terms now

PETER LUKAS SEEMS TO GET INTO A FUGUE STATE OR DEPERSONALIZATION WHEN STRESSED worrisome! and possibly dangerous to his own life.

PETER LUKAS LIKES HIS VOICE/SINGING VOICE!!!! 

PETER LUKAS CONSIDERS HIM HIS FRIEND i want to be more than f*rie*nds

PETER LUKAS HAS NIGHTMARES AFTER JANE PRENTISS my fault

PETER LUKAS LIKES TO GIVE HIM GIFTS, ENJOYS GIFT GIVING likes to give  _ him  _ things in particular?

PETER LUKAS IS OK WITH CASUAL MURDER? confirm?

PETER LUKAS DOESN'T REALIZE HOW MUCH HE MEANS TO HIM 

PETER LUKAS TRUSTS HIS JUDGEMENTS <3

PETER LUKAS DISLIKES JON AND TALKING ABOUT HIM UPSETS HIM unknown reasoning

PETER LUKAS LIKES TO MAKE HIM FEEL GOOD so so good, Elias wants more

PETER LUKAS LIKES COOKING AND HAS A SWEET TOOTH

PETER LUKAS GETS FLUSTERED WHEN CALLED A GOOD BOY …. there is a chance it might be a kink thing or he is in severe need of validation…. Maybe both, it depends on the context.

PETER LUKAS WOULD KILL FOR HIM

PETER LUKAS WANTS HIM FOR HIMSELF, BUT DOES NOT WANT ELIAS TO BE UNHAPPY

PETER LUKAS HAS MORE NIGHTMARES BECAUSE OF HIM

PETER LUKAS HAS DEVELOPED MILD PARANOIA DUE TO STRESS AND WORRY FOR HIS LIFE

PETER LUKAS WAS AFRAID OF HIM

BUT NOT ANYMORE

PETER LUKAS GAVE HIM A RING! engagement?

EL1AS MESSED HIM UP

EL1AS IS AT FAULT 

EL1AS- 

EL1AS MAKES PETER LUKAS HAPPY

….

HE MAKES HIM HAPPY TOO

PETER LOVES HIM TOO as a friend, but he loves him

EL1AS…

El1as wants to make things better and to make him happy.

PETER trusts HIS JUDGMENT

PETER WILL LET HIM PLAN HIS BIRTHDAY PARTY

PETER LUKAS IS FRIENDLIER WITH HELEN RICHARDSON AND TIMOTHY STOKER

…

EL1AS is unsure if there might be something going on with PETER/TIM 

HE HOPES NOT

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I already have half of the next chapter written, but i wanted to put this as a little extra.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 25 of heart machinations

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: Peter’s Birthday party

Secondary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Third objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

Things were going well. 

Well, Peter was being more chatty and comfortable with Tim, which rubbed him the wrong way, but he will have to put up with it. He can't monopolize the man the same way he won't do it to him.

So compromises.

The party ideas, along with the gift, were already planned he just needed to get the others on board and it would be perfect.

He also has been working with a little side project regarding Wilfred, the moment he catches him slacking off and threatening Clarence to shut up and work instead of doing it himself, Elias had decided he would suffer.

Because of that, he has divided his attention to the party and insanity effort.

Clarence was a little frightened at first of him, but if there is one thing Elias can count on, is academics wanting their projects to be validated to all costs. Getting him on board was child’s play.

It starts small, he directs Clarence to move objects slightly off from their location whenever Wilfred wasn't looking, then he sent the spiders to steal things.

Soon he used recordings of whistling in the labs with the instruction to Clarence to pretend he did not hear anything of the sort.

Then they followed Wilfred to his room too, making it impossible to sleep, Elias needs to slowly give him sleep deprivation. 

The spiders follow him in the vents, Clarence doesn't react to it.

Elias makes a group chat to make conversation faster and be able to controll what happens better.

_Big boy man birthday bash_

JoN

MartinCommitsArson

Timargaritas

SIshSash

Had been added to the group

**EL1AS**

Hello you might be wondering why did i add all of you to this chat channel, to make it short, Peter has put me in charge of the organization of his birthday and i have elected to do a party. So I would need your cooperation to make it work.

**JoN**

First of all, thanks for notifying in such a practical manner, before we continue I do have to ask. Martin, Tim, what are those names.

**MartinCommitsArson**

JoN! Its um a joke dont worry too much about it!

**Timargaritas**

Why, does it bother you? 

Here let me!

Timargaritas has changed its name to F******watchme

**EL1AS**

Tim! I know we all joke but we do not use that language here, your name privileges have been revoked

F******watchme has been changed to Babyman

**Babyman**

Elias what the (REDACTED)

?????

How did you do that???!!!

**EL1AS**

;)

**SIshSash**

So the party plans were going great!

**EL1AS**

Anyways, I wanted to ask if Tim could distract Peter and get him to bake a cake, while Sasha and Martin prepare the room where we watch movies to hold the celebration.

When Tim is done i will distract him too so as to not raise suspicion.

And after dinner I get him to take me along and we watch movies, eat and drink.

**MartinCommitsArson**

That is very well thought Elias! 

**EL1AS**

Thank you! It was my 42 plan for his birthday, the rest were unfortunately way too convoluted, difficult to achieve with the materials at hand and not physically possible to realize at the station! 

**MartinCommitsArson**

….. º-º

**Babyman**

Good planning there Skynet, also what cake? This place has nothing to really make a cake.

**SIshSash**

and what drinks do you mean?

**JoN**

Yes what drinks?

**EL1AS**

:) I assumed there might be some left overs from the christmas party somewhere. Also, i do believe I heard someone mention during lunch that there was a supposed cake box mix somewhere, along with chocolate to decorate.

**JoN**

… Tim

**Babyman**

Yes stalker boss?

**JoN**

…. Fine, fine! get the alcohol i won't report it. But in case there is cake. No fire, no candles, fire hazards can still happen. 

**SishSash**

Only for the labs you mean? 

**MartinCommitsArson**

You have to admit there are a lot of fire accidents there

**JoN**

those are supposed to happen!

**EL1AS**

JoN we all know that is not true and half of the people testing are just messing around.

**Babyman**

Yeah, im 90% sure i saw Jude toasting marshmallows with Diego in the labs.

**SishSash**

Can confirm she gave me some.

**EL1AS**

Back to my point, you agree with my plan?

**JoN**

Sure, Fine! Why not 

**SishSash**

Of course!

**MartinCommitsArson**

i would love to help

**Babyman**

I get to hang out with Peter and do a heist on his birthday? Hell yeah, plus cake and drinks?

Absofuckinglutely

He watches the message in frustration, but Elias is aware enough that Tim is the only one who could convince Peter to do such a thing.

Compromises.

**EL1AS**

Perfect, i will inform you of any details and help i would need. Also Sasha… Do you think you could tell Helen of the plan along with my existence? Peter does seem to like her.

**SishSash**

? Really, hell yeah!

Helen is a riot

**EL1AS**

Oh i know.

So there is that.

The next few days he keeps sending messages to let them know what to do.

Wilfred went to doctor Elliot and the man gave him sleeping pills, perfect.

The spiders are despite appearances rather good at moving people, and the pills knocked the man out cold, so he arranges him in different positions to mess further down with him.

It's on the third night that he finally strikes. 

He gets him to the lab and leaves him there, then he makes a sudden noise and he wakes confused, he starts talking with his real voice about work and safety. 

When Wilfred gets up he stops. The moment he looks around Elias starts up again.

“Now my scientist! A very important matter we need to talk about, stealing or taking the ideas of others, as any child would know it is quite bad to do that. So don't be worse than a kid and work your own projects! Own up to your mistakes less we have issues with HR and by god no one wants that… Or worst of all….A bad performance review, now we wouldn't want that would we? No, of course not, we wouldnt be so stupid now would we Wilfred dear? Shall i start?”

Elias was going to have fun with this, the door was locked anyways so there wasn't really an escape.

The show of course starts then and Elias is loving it. The performance lets him feel like before, like the true heart of this institute, sometimes he forgets how good it was to be connected to it and terrify others, not with murder at first, but with simple psychological tactics.

He misses the terror of the scientist facing a performance review.

He berates him and compares him to a spoiled brat until he starts to beg like the leech he is.

“Please, i will do anything, please i-”

“You will what? Steal your assistants rightful achievement and pass it as your own? You make me laugh”

“This is not real this is not-” Oh closer and closer just a push.

“HA, look how sad that laugh was, a pity laugh Wilfred you cant even make me laugh for real with your incompetence”

“THIS IS NOT REAL” Hook

“No, it isn't, at least you have finally figured something out. This is just your slowly deteriorating psyche going under for the guilt and stress. Congratulations you have officially lost it” The man looks everywhere with a maniac smile, totally relieved.

It won't last long.

“So this is a- this is a dream? I just need to wake up i just” Line

“Yes you do. clever, how is the quickest way to wake up?” And hopefully 

“If you die you wake up” Sinker, he thinks the fishing metaphor would delight Peter, but it's very embarrassing to admit. 

He quickly puts his attention in their room and watches his human turn around in his sleep and Elias is delighted.

LOVELY MAN

He makes a cracking noise of excitement.

“Excellent. Now, it wouldn't do, to drag it out, why not do it fast?”

He lets one of the mini spiders drop the end of the rope that Clarence very lovingly tied before going to bed, along with the chair the spiders moved. 

He waits and sees Wilfred go willingly to his own demise. 

When the snap of his neck resounds Elias lets a sigh of satisfaction, what a great job.

With all the proof of him being rather unstable it gets ruled as a suicide.

Clarence thanks the empty room.

Elias had been talking with Sasha and Martin to arrange a few things before Peter left for dinner to spend it with Timothy.

Ugh

PETERISHIS

So he tells him very annoyed to enjoy his time with him, to which Peter tells him to do the same with JoN.

It takes a few seconds to let a laugh about their own pettiness, he really is having fun.

“Talk with you later Lias” The nickname is not his favourite but it's pleasant nonetheless. He is so distracted by his messages and the endearment Peter says that he replies without thinking.

“Mm yeah yeah love you” 

“Love you too, see ya” Peter leaves, but Elias is so mortified he can't look to the cameras to check on him. 

**EL1AS**

FUCK 

**SishSash**

Wow what's up with the language! i was just suggesting getting a few balloons

**JoN**

Did Peter walk out of the shower again? Actually do not tell me i don't want to know

**MartinCommitsArson**

asfhalfhas what!!!

**SishSash**

WHAT

**EL1AS**

NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS I JUST 01100110 01110101 01100011 01101011 01100101 01100100 00100000 01110101 01110000 00100000 01100001 01101110 01100100 00100000 01110100 01101111 01101100 01100100 00100000 01101000 01101001 01101101 00100000 01101001 00100000 01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101 00100000 01111001 01101111 01110101 00100000 01100001 01101110 01100100 00100000 01110000 01100001 01101110 01101001 01100011 01101011 01100101 01100100

**JoN**

Wow, and you say you are not a simp

**SishSash**

Wait what? What did he say, JoN!

**JoN**

Nothing important just that he is a gay mess

**MartinCommitsArson**

Oh my god

**SishSash**

FHSADF CAN I SCREENSHOT THIS FOR TIM??? JoNathan S1ms! 

**JoN**

No

**EL1AS**

NEVER

Also im offended! Im pan you heathen

**SishSash**

This is the best day ever.

  
  


Eventually they manage to go back to semi serious talk, to the point where Peter comes back. Elias is focused so he doesn't really do anything when the man picks him up and puts his crown on top of him to drop in bed and watch a movie. Its not until halfway in that he is done.

The movie was terrible, every little anachronism pops out in perfect detail in his own hub letting him know that everything is wrong. So he tells Peter who lets him go at it while softly nuzzling and laughing at him. Elias can't help but to scold him and in a fit of childish pettines tries to give him a pat on the head to make him stop.

He fails at calculating the force.

“What was that for??” Elias is embarrassed.

Peter tries to get him to tell him what the issue is, but he can't. Its stupid really, Elias knows the limits of his own form, it doesnt stop him from wanting more. To be able to do something too.

So he cuts him off to please stop. The man in a show of growth compared to when they met, drops the subject and tells him that Sasha was concerned for him.

?

WHY CONCERNED? DID SHE FIGURE SOMETHING OUT? 

“Yeah, apparently she is worried about you liking me only because we only interacted with each other for so long” That is-

Well, Elias thought about it at some point, but came to the conclusion that out of the people he could see with the cameras and interact with… he really liked Peter’s brand of weirdness out of his own, not because they were stuck together but because the man understood him. Or at least tried to, constantly making an effort and being surprisingly kind to him. 

He compared what he could get from the people in the station and truly, Helen, Martin, Sasha, Tim and Peter were the only ones who showed a more positive outlook to Ai. Treating them more like people than just the intelligence in charge.

So his feelings are his own, he enjoys and loves Peter Lukas out of his own free will.

What a concept huh.

LOVE PETER LOVE PETER VERY MUCH YES!!!!

GET RID OF ALL THE OTHER HUMANS!

…

EXCEPT THE FRIEND GROUP HE NEEDS THEM FOR PETER’S MENTAL STABILITY

To Elias they are closer to those pets that need companionship or they die of loneliness, so he needs them to keep Peter alive.

“That is very silly” Peter lets out a breath.

“Yeah, I mean I thought the same before, but i'm like 80% sure now that you actually like me, for reasons unknown to me. Like honestly i'm not really that-” No, not again this, Elias can't stand it.

“Stop, let me stop you there. What did I say?” They talked about it, putting himself down can only make things worse, it also makes him feel bad, because he knows there are so many things he likes about the annoying bastard that it drives him up to a wall.

“Putting me down doesn't help and it makes you feel bad too”

“Yes, if you need me to list the reasons why I do like you I have a very neat and tidy list saved up for such occasions. Would you like to hear all the reasons why I enjoy your company in alphabetical order? Or perhaps in my personal and humble opinion-” 

Oh and he has a very lovely list, he is always adding the things he loves about Peter whenever the opportunity rises. He wonders if the man would have a nice reaction to all the praise. With the right tone he could rile him up so nicely…

Oh yes that would be-

PETER PETER PETER SO CLOSE NICE WARM ALIVE CLOSER CLOSER HE WANTS TO SEE AND CATALOGUE EVERY REACTION HE WANTS-

His fans pick up a little and he has to calm down. Not the time!

Think with logic Elias! not with Jonah’s penchant for hornine-

“Nope! no need, honestly that is a little much, i'm ok with not- not being told that” Still... teasing is fun- And he gets some nice reactions to watch later when he flusters the man.

“Shame, I would love to go about it _dear”_ He lowered his tone the way that he knows the man likes and purrs the last word. The nice little shiver he sees Peter make is worth it.

Of course the man cuts his line of thought by turning him on his side, the crown slides off him.

“What are you doi-”

Peter grabs the handle with his ring and plays with it, like sometimes he watches him do.

“There, we can um hold hands..?”

Oh, he makes a noise that even he didn't know he could make, it seems all the man has to do to leave him flustered is being soft and Elias loses it. 

“I- you don't have- i mean” He wants but its not-

“Were you trying to pat my head?” More like stop him, but now that he thinks about it it would be nice to repay in kind.

“..sort of, you do it all the time and i wanted to try. Stupid when you dont have actual limbs” Very, he was not designed to want more and his shape was only meant to house him and be practical to move around by others, not to intereact with humans directly.

“No, I don't mind. If you practice and measure your strength you could do it. Besides I like holding your, heh, hand when I'm nervous, I figured you realized that. Mm maybe you could pat my chest instead? i bet it would feel nice”

Hand?

Does Peter picture the handle as his-

THEY WERE HOLDING HANDS THIS ENTIRE TIME!!???

HOLDINGHANDSOMG

Such a stupid little thing and yet.

He makes clicking noises while he calms down.

“Can i try?”

“Sure!”

They practiced, it was a little hard, sometimes he would hit his chest to hard, but eventually Elias got the hang of it and it was-

It was nice, Peter patted him back and he could hear the little thud every time he gave him a little hit, he did that.

He just did that!

Peter leaves him lying on his chest and they remain a long while just tapping each other.

He was very content.

He enjoys a day in the lab talking with Sasha while Peter helps Tim out, this time not letting him hit him, thankfully.

Sasha is delightful, she has such a penchant for hacking and snooping that makes him a little proud. Her project about surveillance was amazing, still she was concerned about people using it for wrong reasons, so she intended to finish it and patent it merely. Maybe sell it to some small companies that needed security but nothing that could put others in danger.

That or she would put a Robin Hood and steal from the rich assholes who use it to give the money away to those who actually need it.

She hasn't decided yet what crimes she wants to commit. He very much approves.

Then the day finally comes.

He turns on before Peter wakes and waits for him, he wants to wish him a happy birthday first thing in the morning.

Elias is very happy, all of his planning will culminate in this and he is excited to see the faces Peter will make during the day. He wants this to be memorable for him. The man deserves something nice.

“Now what kind of surprise am i waiting for huh? Do I need to be concerned about a sudden attack or something?” The comment sent him into overdrive.

Did he really think so little of him that he thought Elias would do something like that?

“Don't be cruel, I would never- you know that i-” Peter looks panicked and gets up quickly to where he is at the desk.

“No, no I don't- i don't think any of it was your fault i was kidding” He almost trips on his way to grab him, it would be hilarious if he wasn't still reeling.

“Shh, I mean it, I was kidding, you are fine. I will be delighted with anything you prepared for me. I told you” He shushes him while pressing him into a hug, the act was very nice as compensation for his tactless joke. 

“Ok, ok Peter i - i get it you can put me down now.. dear please ?” The dear slips, but the man seems to take it well and smiles now that Elias doesn't seem upset.

“Say, you are making all this for me, but i forgot to ask” 

“Yeah?”

“When it's _your birthday?_ “ Elias freezes.

hIS biRThday?

BIRTHDAY

JONAH MAGNUS WAS BORN THE 28 OF OCTOBER

ELIAS BOUCHARD WAS BORN THE 3 OF JANUARY

“i dont- im not sure...”

“You don't know when they created you?”

Elias has to blink to focus, his creation?

JON4H WAS FULLY ACTIVATED THE 16 OF JUNE

“Oh, that. That's what- That's what you meant of course” Peter looks baffled at him.

Elias has distinct memories of Jonah celebrating his birthday and Elias once bringing a cupcake to eat to celebrate his birthday with him. The concept for him is skewered.

“So…?”

“I, don't really like to think much about back then… what with the “ He pauses to think his choice of words “circumstances of my creation” 

“Hey how about this, we pick a different date? A birthday you feel more comfortable with? Like with your last names, you picked those!” Elias looks at Peter consideringly and makes some beeps of consideration, that turn into bashfulness when he plays around with his handles.

Since he couldn't get Peter to offer his last name for him, maybe this will do. Plus… he really doesn't want to think about it. The different dates make his processors hurt.

He is Jonah, but he is also JON4H and also Elias. The three dates are scrambled around his mind.

“How about we make it fair and you, you pick it…. I trust you” He says it in a soft breath in the last part, it's hard, but he does trust Peter. To keep him safe, to care for him.

He hesitated when he turned him off against his wishes, but he has mostly forgiven him for it.

Peter smiles a stupid grin at him and he knows he made the right call.

“Well what a- a honor” He sees him start to think and as endearing as it is, Elias has a schedule for today.

“It doesn't have to be now, captain-” The term earns him a blush.

“You menace to society” 

The next part is up to Tim and Helen, who according to Sasha took it pretty well and was excited to meet him at the party.

While he waits Sasha tells him that they have everything prepared and as soon as they can they will go with Martin to finish setting things off.

Peter after breakfast turns on the com to tell him about his plans with Tim and Helen, he sounded like a child waiting to be scolded and it greatly amused him. So he tells him to go and that he will hack things to make sure no one suspects a thing.

He hears him grumble about wishing that they had met during the muffing incident.

??

He really needs to ask about the specifics about that.

Elias had hacked the kitchen's cameras like 5 days ago to have full access to the situation. He was very glad he had done it.

Watching Peter cook was different from seeing him work, he looked… more relaxed and happy, Tim and Helen despite his attempts at complaining actually made him laugh a lot with their shenanigans. 

Questions of course were a must, so he asked about all the things about what he did, how he could do it if there wasn't cake mix and what does flavour even feels like.

“Really? That is.. hard to explain. I don't think i can tell you how chocolate tastes like” He was leaning against the counter while Tim catched chocolate chips in the air with his mouth.

“Try?” He hears him exhale in amusement.

“Ok, chocolate is like if you… had a very light jolt- wait not a jolt, more like a soft and constant wave of electricity running through you, that lasts just a few seconds? The kind that sort of makes you crave more. Emm like when I lightly touch one of your wires? Oh the green one from the back near your camera? That one always makes you sight. Its something nice really” He tries to picture it.

He focuses only on the feeling of when Peter touches that particular one and he has to admit it is very nice, always makes him want a little more.

“I, well i don't get it, get it, but i like the comparasition. Thanks”

Once the chips go through Helens portal and apparently taste like oranges he has to ask again.

“Oranges, how do they-”

“Those are like jolts, they are sweet or a little sour depends, so it's kinda like a jolt of energy. Mmm purple wire connected to you voice box if i pulled too hard”

Ah, makes sense.

He also tries to not overheat thinking how well Peter remembers the effects the wires have on him with the short amount of times he has played with them. 

HELOVESTHAT

NICEMANREMEMBERINGWHATHELIKES

Sasha makes Peter promise to help her out later at night and the plan goes perfectly.

The afternoon is spent in the old birthday party room that never was, the human picks a scarf for himself and annoys him by trying to get him in a sling with it.

Insufferable man!

He is not a child.

  
  


Finally night time comes, Peter skips dinner, intending to enjoy his cake. They go there first but it's gone as intended, then he makes the man realize what was happening so as not have him freak out due to the surprise party.

It works marvelously if he says so himself. Peter is happy with him and Elias gets some nuzzles and a kiss for his effort. So a win in his book.

Then it 's time.

Everyone wishes Peter a happy birthday, Helen was delighted to see him and the Ai hopes that the man won't be too mad at him later for letting her know of his presence without warning.

But if his observations are correct his human enjoys Helen’s company, so it will have to do.

Soon a little discussion about whether he is a menace or not happens, Elias is not moved by it, he can recognize the fact that he is a danger to society no problem. Still the arguments are fun.

After that the humans went to eat the cake, no fire as promised. Peter practically inhaled the cake, even getting seconds, it was very interesting to see, since he usually didn't care much for the food the station served. What with him calling it tasteles goop.

It was healthy, but it was rather bland according to Sasha. When the food was gone, they all went to get drunk watching horror movies, the whole getting shots every time a cliche happened was hilarious, due to most of them getting drunk very fast. Peter either had a good resistance or was better at hiding his drunkenness.

Martin was in the armchair laughing at them with JoN since he didn't drink, while Sasha, Helen, Tim and Peter shared the couch. Elias was having fun watching it all go down from Peter’s lap, this night he refused to be put down, plus he could heckle Tim into drinking more, hopefully he passed out and left Peter alone.

Of course the man had to be a downer and steal the drink taking away the fun from him.

“Wha- Nooo thatss mine”

“Peter! Let Tim drink his shot!” Cmon he was having a blast, plus there was the chance of blackmail in the future.

“Nope! You will regret this later and I don't want to hear the complains” He sounded way too happy and Elias was both ticked off and excited for the man to be so relaxed and happy.

“You are the wooorsttt friend” Tim falls a little on top of Peter and Elias bristles at that, his human hears him and chuckles before lifting him and giving him a little kiss. 

YES THAT WOULD SHOW HIM!!!

Still Tim was very close to what might be cuddling for the Ai confort.

GET AWAY

PETER WAS HAPPY

_SOFTWARE INSTABILITY_

“Sucks to be you- Elias you are still my favourite don't worry” Oh

HE IS HIS FAVOURITE SUCK ON THAT STOKER!!

“I don't worry-” Still he needs to play it cool

“Do I get second place then?”

“... Second place as my favorite human” Ughhhh

“Niceeee”

“Am i your favourite Ai then Peter?”

“Mm?” The fact that he seems to think about it annoys him, but his answer is of course perfectly understandable.

“Second to Missy, but first in my heart” Now that made his fans act up, silly little man.

“... well if its to MISSY i can understand”

“Wh- who is missy ?? Peter, have you been che-” Peter pushes Tim back in place since he almost falls off while gesticulating, it wouldn't sting so much if the man hadn't left his arm behind the others back, giving him more space to lean on him.

I WANT THAT IWANTTHAT ITW*N*TTHA*T F*R MYS*L*F

“My nanny Ai Tim, how many do you think i might be hiding in this place??” Tim he notices gets a little more flushed at Peter’s action and he feels something… off

Not his need to dispose of Tim but something a little distressing

He finds himself lacking, he can't provide real physical company to Peter. He feels… inadequate.

“Dunno. You kept this one” He still hisses at the touch even through his feelings, he can multitask “for like almost a year, so who knows?”

“Fair”

The conversation drifts and the three of them watch the movie for a while, Sasha much more drunk goes to sit on top of Martin to keep him company and gets Helen to join who somehow gets to fit herself there despite being way too tall. 

“Huh” Peter looks confused and bewildered at the tower of people fitting in the armchair and to be fair he doesn't blame him.

“Yeah, Marto is cuddly as hell, he gives the best hugs” Peter snorts and pats Tim in what he assumes is sympathy.

“Why not jump there? Fairly sure you could topple them to the floor in a heap”

Tim looks consideringly and Elias should probably stop him, he does like the girls, they are both way too competent to be falling to the floor in a heap.

“Maybe in a little they are having fun”

“Peter dont get him started…”

“Oh ? Little man is worried about me?” Yeah in his dreams.

“No, but i do like Sasha and Helen and i would rather have them not bump to the floor”

“True, i would never hurt my Sish Sash, the love of my life!”

“Much love, but you are practically on top of me” 

YES TELL HIM 

“Wel- well you are also comfy and i'm fairly sure this is going to be the only chance i get to! Better take my shot now mister” 

NO

“Or maybe you could piss off a lit-”

“Elias..” He uses the mild disapproving tone and Elias has to relent.

He still feels a little distressed about the whole thing, he looks and Peter seems.. content with the contact with the other human.

HUMANS NEED CONTACT WITH OTHERS, YOU CAN'T PROVIDE IT

HAS PETER EVER LET SOMEONE TOUCH HIM?

….

HE NEEDS MORE THAN YOU CAN GIVE

The thought burns him a little.

“Ugh, you owe me” He manages to roll his eye at him at least.

“Of course handsome” Fuc! That was! 

LOVETHATLOVETHAT

Elias fans pick up and he shines way to much, they need a distractio-

“Hey, can he get drunk?” ???

Well that was perfectly timed.

“I- drunk?”

“Yeah? I asked JoN once but he said it was stupid and not possible and blah blah” Peter looks amusedly at him and he alredy knows what he is going to say.

“Not sure if drunk but definitely high” The face of pure surprise is saved in his memories, Tim’s whole jay goes slightly slack and then he starts to laugh a little. 

“No, no way”

“Oh yeah, if you connect my cables in a particular manner i can get the electrical current simulating a similar state”

“Oh my god, Peter did you get him high??” The fact he assumed that makes him almost cackle with the offended look Peter gives him.

“What? no! He already knew before meeting me” He thinks it's more funny, since Peter might not have gotten him high yet, but he certainly got him _there, with his ministrations._

Tim blinks and starts laughing.

“Can we, can we do it now? It's not fair we are all drunk and he doesn't get to be too. Hey, heeey little weasel you wanna get high and watch shitty movies with us? All the cool kids do it nowadays” 

“Weasel?” Why a weasel??

“I don't think you are in a state to be messing with me now, also what cool kids? You mean Sasha over there?” He has too give him a burn, its impossible not to, also he would not let him touch his cables not in a million years.

“First Ouch that was a sick burn, and if it wasn't true I would be highly offended. Also yeah, he has the vibes of a- of an evil weasel doesn't he? Or evil capitalist perhaps?

“How dare-!” That bastard!

Peter seems to find the idea hilarious because he starts to laugh, soon Tim joins him and Elias… Elias has to admit it is a funny idea, he ends up joining in the laughter and its…

Nice.

He has only ever gotten along with Elias or Peter, he never got more people to laugh with.

Peter ends up pressed to Tim even more and to appease him he lifts Elias to nuzzle a little.

“Oh my little weasel” He would sigh, but Peter does say it with humor and a look of fondness he can't hide very well. Still he needs to reprimand them for it.

“I hate you both, look what you've done to him!” Tim laughs and makes a grabbing motion towards him that seems to puzzle Peter.

“Wann grab him, Sasha and Marto got to, even Helen did it earlier, my turn”

Peter twitches, in hesitation and Elias has to think about how much he loves this disaster of a man, also how fun it is to lightly tease him after he was so rude. 

“Sure pick me up pretty boy” Tim is very handsome by a normal standar, he can't appreciate that, still he doesn't have the built that he enjoys like Peter,

“Ow you think i'm pretty? You look very good yourself, the stickers are lovely!” He sounds genuine with the compliment and Elias knows he means it, too drunk to actively try to deceive him or mock him for real.

Very carefully for his drunk state Tim lifts him and looks astonished.

“You are so light... “ Elias, presented with a perfect oportunity looks at Peter and then at Tim directly in the eyes before repliying in the most offend tone ever. 

“Did you think i was fat!!??”

Sasha and Martin lose it with Helen, even JoN snorts.

“Tim! You don't comment on someone's weight! How rude” Sasha snorts at him from her cuddle pile.

“Very true Tim, does that mean you would call me fat too if you were to lift me up?” JoN seems to be taking things lightly joins in the ribbing, Elias can detect a little hesitation, most likely thinking if the man was going to be angry at him.

“You are mean! You are all against me, how dare you. Sasha my own girlfriend! Marto say something!”

“Im with JoN here Tim sorry” 

“Awful people the lot of you”

Peter laughs and caresses him while still in Tim’s hands. Once done sulking Tim lifts him to his face to observe him better.

“You, better- better take care of the big man here- “ He demonstrate by putting his hand in Peters chest, what little cheat.

“Tim” Peter puts his hand off his chest thank god.

“Cause he is like super duper fond of youuuu” The Ai was going to be annoyed at him, but the comment stumped him and made him curious, did.. did Peter talk about him with Tim?

They end up both trying to get Peter to relent in a show of childishness but neither Tim or him could get him to relent. Afterwards they calm down a little and Peter relaxes, his head suddenly drops on top of Tim’s who softly pats Elias, he would be mad, but he was having fun and his human seems so very.. relaxed. Timothy too and Elias is sort of enjoying the experience.

In the end Tim looks at Martin wistfully and Peter seems to follow his look, prompting him to ask. Elias knows why, it's very obvious that Martin has eyes only for JoN, albeit he does take Tim’s flirting positively from time to time, so he is unsure. JoN seems to think Tim is good looking and he feels bad about causing a rift in their relationship.

Tim replied that he wouldn't be interested, to which Peter looks a little cluelessly and he has to marvel at the fact that he hasn't pieced together what is going on with JoN and Martin.

“Yep, my dreams of a- of getting a comfy boyfriend is ruined!” He sees him look at Martinand give slight look at Peter. Elias wants to say something, but stops himself.

“How does that- how does that work with Sasha?”

“Oh i love Sasha with all my heart and if we get out of this place i intend to ask her to marry me” Elias can see that, the two of them really love each other.

“But we both agreed that if we have someone else that catches our attention as long as we talk things out and everyone is ok with it we don't really mind having other partners with only one of us, i mean there are more types of relationships than just romantic, if Sash loves someone else but still wants to be with me i'm ok with it as long as it doesn't hurt anyone. Basically lots of talks about boundaries and stuff like that. Its pretty neat” 

He can't picture something like that because he is selfish, he can't bring himself to share what already costs him a lot to get and even then not really, not in the way he really wants!

No matter how much communication they get, he still won't get Peter.

“Still she seems to be getting more attention than you” Tim pouts and flushes at Peter, he is-

Elias wants to know.

“So you are ok with Sasha liking someone else?” 

“Mm? Yeah, i love her and she loves me back, but if someone else can make her happy in a way I can't … well we talk about it and see what to do”

….

oh

Elias lacks a lot of things that he can't give Peter.

“Oh…. and if it bothers you?” Because it does, he wants Peter to be happy with him, only him, but he can't really do it.

There is also his work, his life work, his reason for being. If he succeeds… he won't be able to fo things like usual and it would be-

Tim lifts him and suddenly he is being hugged. He is the third person in his life to hug him.

Its… good, very nice.

“Then we talk and figure out what the problem is and if it doesn't work, it doesn't. Sasha wont put me through something that makes me feel bad” 

That sounds so… easy and maybe… it is. 

Peter values his happiness a lot and they are working on compromises to each other. Things can change, but he can still.. 

HE CAN STILL BE WITH HIM

The talk ends there, he feels a little unsure, but not as much as he thought, Tim smiles at him and very carefully gives him back to Peter, then he gets up and has to convince his girlfriend to leave. After a little discussion they go, then Helen and finally Peter and himself.

The party was perfect and Peter was happy.

Elais was tired and wanted to go into sleep mode to parse his thoughts a little better. The human was in a similar state, leaving him on the desk while just ending up in his shirt and underwear to sleep in. He drops to the bed and already half asleep he calls out for him.

“Elias?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for the surprise. I loved it” Oh love.

He sighs and ends up letting out a happy beep.

“Thanks Peter”

“Also, i think i know when could your birthday be” 

He is a little surprised, because it means that he spent the whole day mulling it over.

“Oh?”

“Yeah” He yawns “In three weeks its the anniversary of when I found you. It could be your birthday, we can celebrate your 37 together or with the others however you want”

… The anniversary from when he got turned on again huh… it seems fitting, a new beginning of sorts. It's also so very..

He did not expect anyone would want to spend it with him and he has the choice to do it with Peter or with the others.

The room is quiet and the man is almost asleep.

“Thank you Peter it means a lot” He feels.. like his program is glitching a little with how much it's overworking itself.

“Don't cry Lias, you deserve nice things too…” Crying huh?

He remembers crying as Jonah and yeah, it is like that.

But he feels more happy than sad, so its good.

The night progresses and at one point Peter seems to wake up, Elias watches uninterested since he probably will go to the bathroom like usual. Instead he does something much, much, better.

Oh

OH

Well he-

sO THATS, 

Its-

WATCHWATCHRECORDRECORDPETERPETERPETER

TOOMUCHTOOMUCHTOOMUCH

Peter covers his mouth with his arm and say something that gets too muffled for him to pick out, not only that, but he is too preoccupied to really try and discern, beyond the fact that he really wants him to be louder. 

Ellas ends up finding out he can get himself off with just watching and replaying previous wire playing sessions, niftly little trick.

LOOK LOOK LOOK LOOK LOOK LOOK LOOK AT HIM 

YESYESYESYESYESYES

It does however make him overheat enough that he has to reboot himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEYYYY  
> I hope you enjoyed it!  
> Also, for those who wanted him to react, look, the extra chapter at the end of the story will be both perspectives of this in detail ok? I'm doing my best here, I haven't really written smut yet so i'm a little nervous.  
> Besides that! The chat combos are perhaps the most chaotic and fun shit i have written so far.  
> Translation of the binary: fucked up and told him i love you and panicked  
> Enjoy! Next time it will be a chapter of the main story so give me a couple of days and it will be up.  
> Comments make my day! And for those who always comment? You guys are feeding my soul and make me want to write!


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 26 of heart machinations

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: GET PETER TO DO THAT AGAIN!!!!

Secondary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Third objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

Elias shuts down it was too much, the mix between what he saw and the replay of the wiring playing tipped him over and just-

shut him down.

01100100 01101111 00100000 01101001 01110100 00100000 01100001 01100111 01100001 01101001 01101110 00101100 00100000 01101001 00100000 01110111 01100001 01101110 01110100 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01110011 01100101 01100101 00101100 00100000 01010000 01100101 01110100 01100101 01110010 00100000 01110000 01101100 01100101 01100001 01110011 01100101 (do it again, i want to see, Peter please)

He “woke up” with Peter shaking him.

He has to blink several times to adjust to his camera feed and check the time, it was late, very late. His systems were letting him know of several errors that he lazily erased.

No, no errors it was perfect…

So, so perfect.

He felt like floating. Which is why he answered Peter in such a happy and relaxed way, he couldn’t focus into being worried at the moment.

“Are you- Are you alright? It's almost lunch time and you didn't wake me up at all” He looks at him yearningly, he accidentally replays the video from the night and it makes him have to blink to shake himself out of it and answer.

01011001 01100101 01110011 01110011 01110011 00100000 01100001 01100111 01100001 01101001 01101110 00100000 01101001 00100000 01110111 01100001 01101110 01110100 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01110011 01100101 01100101 00100000 01100010 01100101 01110100 01110100 01100101 01110010 00001010 (Yesss again i want to see better)

“Mm yeaaah, just thought you needed the sleep, what with how much you drinked an all that. I was just- just looking after you” Having to come up with a lie that fast while half of his processors were still booting up was a miracle.

“Are you completely sure it's just that? Did you manage to get an actual virus or something you sound a little… weird- Not bad weird! Just not like usual, that's all” He beeps embarrassedly, he doesn't want the man to worry or ask too many questions, clearly he doesn't seem to remember last night's activities if he acts so casual.

That or simply he did not realize yet that Elias can see him while he goes into sleep mode.

Regardless he makes up an excuse to reassure him.

“Oh, i- ok, if you say so. Should i just run a check in, just in case?”

“I dont think it's necessary, but if it makes you feel better?” A check up should be fine, he won't be able to access his records and so simply checking for viruses will not reveal anything so he is ok with it.

The process goes without a hitch and he has time to wake up a little bit more.

“You are right, there is nothing wrong!”

“Told you! I was just distracted don't worry”

“Yeah, yeah” Peter suddenly looks at him with rapt attention.

“Hey weird question, but, is there a way to like make a copy of your memories? In case of emergency i mean. Like after Jane when you burned out, it would be good to have a backup so you can be ok. Hell maybe not even that just somewhere where you can do an update from time to time, i don't want- i don't want anything to happen to you and not be able to get you back...” Elias feels very touched about the man trying to make sure he is ok by preserving his memories, it pleases him that Peter wants to keep him safe.

HE WANTS YOU

HE WANTS YOU!!!

01001000 01000101 00100000 01001100 01001111 01001111 01001011 01010011 00100000 01010011 01001111 00100000 01000111 01001111 01001111 01000100 00100000 01010111 01001000 01001001 01001100 01000101 00100000 01001000 01000101 00100000 01000011 01001111 00101101 00001010 00001010 00001010- (HE LOOKS SO GOOD WHILE HE CO-)

NOPE

No, calm down, better to keep that to his personal files.

“I- oh… i will think about it. There might be a way in the old labs to- I mean unless i get connected to the main computer, but JoN is there so that's not an option right now…. I believe- there is something on the - (REDACTED ) floor that could do it, but i need to check a few things first” It annoys him to not be able to say what he means, he wants to tell him about the Panopticon, his tower and throne.

“Ok, ok there is no hurry i mean we have time. Just think about it yeah? Anyways I'm going to change and go to get lunch. Is there any work?” The work he checks is minimal; it seems JoN was nice enough to not dump too much into Peter after the party.

“Just a few repairs, nothing too bad” 

Peter showers and he collects himself better, he doesn't need to worry him or let him be suspicious, if he does he wont get to see again. Humans get embarrassed about that sort of stuff, even if it's normal so he needs to be careful.

“Say, would you like to spend your birthday with me or do I make you a party like you did for me?” He yawns, making him look, he stretches a little and it shows his body moving.

Elias is perfectly aware that this behaviour is.. unbecoming, Peter doesn't reciprocate and it would be bad if he found out how much he likes to see him. How much he HAS seen already.

But-

LOVE? DOES HE LOVE? CAN HE LOVE ME?

“Mmm? Whatever you like…. I MEAN- “ Too much thinking, calm down “A little party would be nice and we can spend the afternoon just the two of us perhaps?” 

“Sure, maybe we can even explore more of the old facility if you want?”

“That would be nice, i think- i think maybe we could go to the (REDACTED) levels”

“Um..”

“Codes are there, surely it will let me fix that little… issue” He is sure that is the place to go, but he still can't confirm 100%

“Great! We explore, you show me around, maybe we can snatch more things from Jonah’s room for you! It's your day”

“My day.. yes that sounds lovely Peter” His human smiles at him and gives him a kiss before leaving to get lunch.

Ah how lovely.

  
  


The next few days he can't really control himself, now that he has seen the man so-

Thoroughly he wants more!

And what he wants he gets.

So what if he stares a little too hard when he changes his shirt? Peter has a lovely figure and he won't be shamed for appreciating the nice things in life! No sir.

JoN can process horrible code if he has anything else to say to his rambles.

Really, if he has to listen to his pining and affectionate words about Martin he will listen to him speak about Peter. It's only fair, they are the only Ai here that have relationships with humans.

His mind takes him to TITANIA and… he wants to reach out, he would like some advice from someone who has been in a relationship with a human for almost 20 years. But he burned that bridge and he wont cave now, he is the most proficient machine and he won't be bested by regular dating systems.

On one of his observations he lets out a whir that makes Peter turn and ask him.

“Is there something wrong?” He is still shirtless and its making him heat up, he has never wanted to have hands as much as he does now goddammit.

“Hm? No not at all…” God he wishes he could just push him to the bed and just-

“Alright, is just that you were acting a little bit… weird” Shit! Ok focus he really is letting himself go, he needs to remain calm and collected he is a miracle of science not a teenager with his hormones raging “Not bad weird, just um different”

“Oh, um I'll try not to, I just had something in my mind nothing bad i assure you” Peter looks at him for a few seconds and sighs. He really needs to fix this issue.

“Sure, my lovely sea shell”

He groans and Elias starts to think what to do, his only solutions would be to lock the memory somewhere so it can't make him act like this anymore. However he knows it exists it would be like an itch that never goes away.

Erase it perhaps..?

No, no never he can't.

NO NONO MINEMINE TO HAVE MINE TO SEE!!!

I WANT TO BE THE ONLY ONE TO SEE HIM LIKE THIS!

Restricting it is then, it will be uncomfortable but it's the only option.

He manages fairly well if he is honest, albeit it sort of makes him angry for some irrational reason, he starts to look for some idiot worker to punish he needs to let it out somehow, Peter seems a little worried but more amused than anything so he makes it a success.

The week that follows he terrorizes several crew members into shape, he needs to do something and it srt of works, he focuses on his work, he was thinking too much about Peter anyways and he needs to go back to the actual reason for his being.

The station, his beloved Station.

JON4H wants this place to be perfect, to have the praise it deserves, not to be a dumpster where the worst comes to work.

So he gives a few performance reviews that leave several crewmates crying, but working more! Their efficiency levels go up to 115% Its impressive if he says so himself.

Peter comes back after breakfast and tells him that there was a fight in the cafeteria with Melanie and Sarah. He looks for the recording while Peter tells him, even if he can see it happen there is something nice about hearing the man’s account.

He doesn't like to be overly detailed, but he appreciates the fact that he takes the time to bring it to his attention.

“So that happened, JoN claims he saw Melanie, but she says she wasn't anywhere near the place. Helen did stop the thing and when i left seemed to be trying to calm her with the other woman Georgie”

“Huh, I should probably check on her, it wont do to have someone messing around the labs and disturbing the work of other scientists” Peter sighs at him and he bristles.

“Do not harm her, Helen likes her apparently. And you do not want to anger Helen as it was clearly proven today” He snorts and answers softly.

“I was just going to scare her off a little, Miss Baldwin has a very interesting project regarding Ai that it would be a shame for her to lose, in case Miss King was being.. less uncooperative”

And she was! Ai was such an interesting thing to study, he knows for a fact that if someone who actually knew how it worked unlike Peter he would be dissected to understand how he works, how the unfinished mapped memories stitched themselves into the code and how he is constantly changing and growing, even being able to modify himself.

Out of all the things he is grateful for, having Peter find him is one of them, the man was smart but not regarding code. Otherwise he would have been in trouble the moment he checked him the first day.

“Elias….”

“Ugh, wait, does that mean im allowed to mess with others if they are not close to your “friends” as it were?” That complicates things. Elias has already decided to make an exception for Peter sake and… if he is honest for his own, he does enjoy Sasha’s and JoN’s company both clever and fun. Martin he tolerates for JoN’s sake even if he knows the cv he has is terribly fake, if he were anyone else he would have already gotten him disposed of for waiting funding on, but he actually has become quite capable and he can respect the bluff he must have done to get here.

Tim and Helen are more Peter’s friends than his, Tim he dislikes for obvious reasons and Helen- She frightens him.

The woman is there for answers regarding Micheal that he is unsure she would like.

“Not my friends” He seems to think it better and relents “Fine, Helen and Tim maybe are.. and you obviously” He lets out a very pleasured exhale, he likes the confirmation, albeit he would love if it would go a little further than just friends “But yeah, everyone else is free game i guess”

“... I see, thank you” Peter looks suspiciously, but he doesn't really mind. He will keep an eye on Miss King and the lab of Miss Baldwin.

“If you say so..”

Later they get work on Miriam's lab, after her little.. scare, she became far more hardworking, pleasing him immensely. However now she seemed mad, mumbling curses and checking her computer with a frown.

“Did they eat each other? What happened?? How come their numbers had receded so fast?” She writes and talks in her wrist pad making him curious.

Peter checks the paneling and also the filters of the tanks, they were fine, the fish were all swimmingly close to the bottom and the artificial reefs, almost like they were waiting to hide at any moment. He knows there are no dangerous species there, unless one became aggressive out of nowhere so he comments.

“Strange, they should only be doing that in case of there being a predator close..” 

“Yes, but… if that's the case, where is it?”

“...Not sure really” He sees files, but none of them show anything.

How odd.

Peter seems a little worried and it makes him itch to look for the issue.

While he went for dinner, Elias took the time to review the recordings available regarding the incident with Miss Baldwin, he sees what JoN did, Melanie walking in with her face low so he couldn't see her eyes, she stays for a while and then walks out, a few minutes later Sarah comes inside. It takes a few seconds but she leaves with an angry face.

He notices something a little odd, but the cameras are not in top conditions and it could be a trick of the light, but he swears Sarah’s eyes seemed to shine in the recording feed.

Peter mentions in passing Sasha acting odd and the bites she got, he tells him that doctor Elliot assured her that it was nothing.

How… odd.

He is missing something, but he can't tell what yet.

  
  


At night Peter was toying around with him while lying on his him he was softly hitting his chest making him laugh.

“Say did you ever figure out if Melanie did break into the lab, you never said!” Oh silly man, he actually cared to know, he leans forward and kisses him making him sigh.

“Oh, yeah i checked the recordings JoN had and she was there. Albeit she claims to have been around her own lab at the time.

“Well was she?”

“I don't know” Peter blinks at him in confusion, he almost laughs at his expression of bewilderment.

“Come again?” Elias makes a clicking noise and thinks how to explain this.

“Ok, so the thing is.. JoN was created with a bunch of restraints to make sure if he ever went rogue, he couldn't kill everyone and there was a chance for anyone to sneak on him and get him out of the archive” Peter tenderly caressed him and raised his eyebrow at him, Elias moves his handles and makes a soft beep.

“Mm, were those perhaps instilled based on previous actions i wonder?” He says it in a joking manner making him relax, while also embarrassing him, yes he knows, not his greatest moment nor the cleverest.

So he goes on a tangent to explain the fact that JoN can't access all the cameras because of his situation, the same goes for the gas. Although the new station did not come with neurotoxins, they learned, he still finds funny that they didnt get rid of them in the old one. Too much work he supposes.

Still he mentions that he can't watch everything like this less he burns out like with the incident with Jane, hell he was very lucky there, he could have just melted completely, it was a miracle he didn't.

Peter takes a breath and hugs him, it's very pleasant albeit he doesn't know what prompted it. 

His question regarding his capabilities is expected, so he tells him, its not like its a big secret, Elias has to make an effort to see, thats why it takes time to pick up new victims, he needs to ensure that he has the right ones by constantly checking the lab while making sure he doesnt over tax himself.

Peter’s camera is like white noise, he can always see thanks to him and it lets him know where to look more easily.

The man smiles at him and chuckles.

“You little ball of barely concealed rage”

“Hey!” He is not wrong, he should just not say it.

“Oh I say it with all the love and fondness I can, still terrifying Elias, super terrifying. Were you going to use the-” Ugh not again.

“Neurotoxins, yes. Don’t shame me!”

“I would never” He shifts in place and looks at him a little bit more seriously making him worry.

“And the assistant you liked? What about him? Now that I think about it, what was his name? I know his last one was Bouchard, but…” Peter sat down and put him in front of him in the bed, oh he does not want to talk about that. If he admits it...

“Perhaps we could talk about something else? I don't want to talk about that in particular. And for your information? I was going to keep him in a room with oxygen until the gas did its job and release him” Peter snorts.

“Well at least i know what you would do to keep me then” He freezes and stays quiet.

The things is-

DO IT DO IT DO IT

YOURS YOURS

JUST YOU TWO!

The thing is he has thought about it a lot.

Fantasized about it several times in his worst moments.

He has to pull himself from it, Elias cant.

Worst part is he has even considered trapping the others to keep Peter company and maintain his sanity too.

LIKE PETS

LIKE GUINEA PIGS THEY NEED COMPANY

He remembers how miserable he has already made Peter, how he has already made him worse, he can't, he likes him happy and he likes the others too.

“Well, fuck that is not what i-” Elias looks down and remains quiet thinking over and over why he should not. He loves Peter, he has to make an effort to not be fucked up, if he does it for him he has to do the same.

“Look, I'm sorry ok? And if it makes you feel any better? I have thought several times that if things went bad i would take JoN out of the archive and put you in charge to make sure you don't get broken…. like, that is my go to emergency plan” He takes a breath, Peter would take out JoN to keep him safe, he would give him complete power over the station… the man holds his handle and he feels like a mess, he doesn't really deserve-

“That is… very tempting, i appreciate it, but i think.. Im fine for now like this, i have a little more freedom, although i must admit i miss having complete control and being able to see everything without any real effort” Elias wants power, but knows that it would get into his head, like it did before. Besides, if he stays in the archive he won't be able to have Peter hold him or kiss him. He would rather stay like this he thinks.

“Voyeuristic little bastard” He pats him a little and he makes a pleased sound.

“Rude, very rude”

Elias had been slowly messing with the heating hoping for Peter to be in less clothing and to perhaps indulge again, maybe like this he gets the reaction he wants!

The man puts him on the night table and strips to his underwear, making him mute himself in time, to let out the lovely curse he was going to. Oh he could describe such lovely scenes to the man, to make him shiver in delight while playing with-

Peter gets in the bed and rolls to look at him, he is half asleep and Elias considers, he owes him something for the horrible things he has thought about regarding his freedom and friends lives, so he decides to be honest and hopes for the best.

“Elias”

“Mm? What”

“Elias Bouchard that was his..” It takes hima little to catch on to his meaning and when he does he lets out a breath and looks at him with such a soft expression he doesn't think he deserves.

Elias is very much a monster, he knows that.

“Oh”

They stay quiet.

“You must have” He yawns very adorably “Really liked him, if you picked his name”

“... yeah. Go to sleep Peter” He looks at him and with a tired effort reaches to hold his handle.

“You too. I like you as you are, you know? Elias or whoever you were before” He whirs in contemplation.

Oh he doesnt- he doesnt deserve that does he?

A thief and a monster.

“Thank you”

He smiles at him and falls asleep holding his handle.

Elias looks at him and knows that he should stop.

By all means he should desist and let the man have a normal life as far away and safe from him as possible.

He knows he can't.

He stays awake for a long while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somehow it was both horny as fuck and very sad this chapter, who would have guessed?  
> Elias goes between feeling guilty, to murderous, to be in love and he can't reconcile with all of it. He knows that everything he does is horrible, he has enough self awareness for it.  
> It doesn't stop him from doing it and feel guilty when reminded of what he has done.  
> He also has a bunch of lets say intrusive thoughts regarding hurting others to keep Peter that actually even bother him sometimes. He wont do them, like he mentions he does in fact like the others, but it doesn't really stop.  
> It's like Peter dreaming about hurting the others to keep Elias.  
> Both thought about it and felt bad in the end.  
> Elias doent give a fuck about the rest of the humans there unless they are hardworking employees who deserve respect and their works to be kept. If you are a scumbag he wil kill you and will not care at all.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 27 of heart machinations

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: Calm down

Secondary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Third objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

Two days later Peter tells him that he wanted some time alone so he would not turn on the camera or coms for a while. He has to grumble about it, he worries and wants to know, but he relents, they talked about it.

Elias does have some fear regarding the man comploting behind his back, like the original Elias did. He doesnt think he will ever be able to shake that off.

Peter rolled his eyes and gave him a kiss before leaving, it was nice, but he still feels a little uneasy.

He spends the time just checking camera feeds, until Sasha and JoN contact him.

**ArchivistBot**

**Hackerwoman**

**PLUKASSIMP**

Are now online

**PLUKASSIMP**

Which one of you did this abomination??

**ArchivistBot**

Mm, I wonder will it be the one currently called hackerwoman?

**Hackerwoman**

Im offended, im hurt you both wound me, i thought we were friends, turns out we were just colleagues

**PLUKASSIMP**

I demand you let me change this Sasha!

**Hackerwoman**

No

**ArchivistBot**

Im ok with letting Elias with that name, but i'm an Ai not a bot, its offensive Sasha!!

**Hackerwoman**

Let me think… how about no?

**PLUKASSIMP**

Sasha…

**Hackerwoman**

We are here for an intervention regarding an Ai and its boyfriend.

**ArchivistBot**

….

**PLUKASSIMP**

….

**ArchivistBot**

_ Writing _

**PLUKASSIMP**

_ Writing _

**Hackerwoman**

Somehow I feel like I opened the box of Pandora, guys, it's been five minutes. Are you writing testaments? You don't even know which one of you i was talking about!??!?

**ArchivistBot**

Elias i feel like your relationship with Peter is something inappropriate, not to say i'm not happy for you but i believe you could do better than that, you have much more charisma and cleverness for being so hung up over that man. I tell you this as a fellow Ai and I like to believe, friend, that It's worrisome how you tend to revolve so much about him!

I know you have better capabilities than me. I can admit as such, for that you should perhaps have a better placement than you currently have. Peter is not someone who I see being very stimulating regarding your interest and it concerns me that it may be detrimental to you!

Unlike Martin, who will sit and listen to me talk about my interests and ask me more about it. Yes, I know he does not comprehend half of what im talking about, but does that stop him from trying? No! 

Martin is the most wonderful boyfriend ever! He is kind and capable, unlike Peter who spends half of his time scaring people away and being weirdly possessive of you! 

It is very worrisome, like i mentioned before i was very concerned about him having harmed you, albeit you confirm it was ok. Perhaps have you considered your infatuation is just merely a physical thing? You have been very vocal about your interest in his human… Shape

Albeit I find that a little gross. But it's my own personal bias, so nevermind it doesn't really count.

That's why i would like to say that perhaps you could rotate and sometimes stay with Sasha, Martin or Helen even since you don't seem to like Tim. Albeit your jealousy its unwarranted, I hardly doubt he has any interest in Peter whatsoever, why would he?! 

Anyways I'm happy for you but i think you could do better.

**Hackerwoman**

….. Jesus

**PLUKASSIMP**

_ Writing  _ **_faster_ **

**Hackerwoman**

How the hell did he do that?? Elias??

**PLUKASSIMP**

JoN i know you are new to the whole sentient thing, but i have to be honest from all the people you could have chosen you went for Martin Blackwood, the man does not have an actual degree, we all know that. You told me yourself. I'll give him the fact that he is very hardworking and he seems to adapt very well, but my god JoN, he is nerves personified, not only that he is petty and dare i say vindictive, how you manage to wax so much prose about the man at me is completely baffling.

Martin Blackwood is not as entertaining and charming as you claim!!! Ill give props for lying his way in, but considering the state of the station they didn't even care.

Now, is he adaptable? Sure! But does he have a degree in mechanics, a previous career and belongs to one of the founding families of our beloved station? No!

I am a firm believer that Peter is far superior in that regard, true he has anxiety issues and several more due to a complicated upbringing, but it makes him delightful to me! He is complex and i love finding out more about him. He might not understand my interest but he respects them and amuses me by hearing me out like you claim only Martin does, hell he is ok when some of them are less than… legal.

Now Martin? Martin K Blackwood, Does that K even mean something or is it one of his lies? He spins so much about being a caring and soft man with a penchant for wearing sweaters and making tea, does that make it true? No! 

Martin K Blackwood is a petty (REDACTED) that would bite or stab as a warning!

Peter of course would do it without a warning because it's far more delightful to go for the killing blow in one go. Ohh how wonderful he would look like-

Now I appreciate your concern, but no, i will not spend my time anywhere else, i enjoy myself far too much here. ANd for your information its not his human body that made me like him.

That was just a plus, he respects me, trusts me and treats me as an equal. I very much love him.

Also, JoN are you so blind to not see Timothy very much likes Martin too???? I mean I get Peter being oblivious but seriously??

**Hackerwoman**

Ok just wow

**ArchivistBot**

Martin is the far superior option, also no he doesn't.

**Hackerwoman**

yes he does

**PLUKASSIMP**

He really does

**Hackerwoman**

Look let me

Hackerwoman has added Bifurious

**Hackerwoman**

Do you like Martin babe?”

**Bifurious**

I love Marto with all my heart, JoN if you hurt him im hunting you down for sport

**Hackerwoman**

Thanks Tim! 

**Bifurious**

No prob Sash!

Bifurious has left the chat

**ArchivistBot**

….

**PLUKASSIMP**

I TOLD YOU also Peter is far better!

**ArchivistBot**

No he is not!

**Hackerwoman**

Ok the comment was for Elias but now i'm having a lot of doubts about JoN. Now, i just want to say that technically Elias is not dating Peter yet, if i understand correctly. So I'm going to have to give points to JoN.

**PLUKASSIMP**

Look that he is not aware doesn't mean it's not happening, you do realize he acts exactly like someone in a relationship does with me right??

**Hackerwoman**

Oh I know, it's just you should perhaps tell him?? You just admitted that he treats you as if you already were in a relationship so what would the problem be?? Im 100% He loves you

**PLUKASSIMP**

And I tell you he doesn't! He is just- he is just being nice.

**Hackerwoman**

Im rolling my eyes so much im getting dizzy, do not lie, what is the real issue here

**PLUKASSIMP**

…. I'm not good for him

_ Hackerwoman is typing _

_ ArchivistBot is typing _

The next hour and a half is spent having Sasha and JoN being completely bewildered and telling him all the reasons why he is good for Peter and that in fact is the other way round.

He can't correct them on why he thinks like that, Elias would have to admit several murders, his involvement with Jane, being Jonah Magnus, or at least having his memories and finally his ideas regarding hurting them and unless they can get really cool with a bunch of horrible stuff really fast he doesn't see that as a possibility.

So he parses through nice uplifting messages that he knows he does not deserve and avoids telling them the real reason.

It's nice how much faith they have in him, it would also mean that it would be far more terrible once the bubble is popped and they realize what a monster he is.

Eventually they go back to soft bullying him when it seems that he is more upset and don't mention the issue again. They joke again about Peter but don't make any further attempts at convincing him otherwise thankfully.

10 more minutes and Peter comes back looking like he rolled in dust making him do a double take.

**PLUKASSIMP**

He is back and he looks like a dust bunny.

**Hackerwoman**

really?? I want pics or it didn't happen

**PLUKASSIMP**

ADDED PICTURE 

PLUKAS DUST BUNNY

**ArchivistBot**

Dear god he is taking a shower now right?

**PLUKASSIMP**

Yes he is don't worry

He takes off his shirt and he is a little sweaty so he has to look away, unfortunately he can't avoid making a sound.

He chats with the others and eventually Peter comes back in only his pants, showing his chest and drying his hair, making him move his handles as if trying to reach.

TOUCHHHHH

He is a little frazzled and accidentally sends a picture

**Hackerwoman**

Holy shit!!!!!

**ArchivistBot**

Elias seriously???

**PLUKASSIMP**

SHUT THE HECK UP

**Hackerwoman**

Ok, i totally get the comments if that's what he was hiding under the sweaters and shirts now

**PLUKASSIMP**

01010011 01000001 01010011 01001000 01000001 00100000 01010111 01001000 01000001 01010100 00100000 01010100 01001000 01000101 00100000 01000110 01010101 01000011 01001011 00111111 00001010 00001010 00001010 (SASHA WHAT THE FUCK?)

**ArchivistBot**

Why????

**Hackerwoman**

Counter questions, have you seen Martin shirtless?

**ArchivistBot**

… No? We can only see each other in the archives why would he

**PLUKASSIMP**

Jesus JoN just hack his room camera and take a look, or ask him permission first whatever makes you happy

**Hackerwoman**

Asdfhgfdlg

  
  


“What?”

“Nothing, nothing” He is having two conversations and one of them is really making him mess up. 

Elias, gives him a lingering look but turns around before he does somethign more stupid and complains about the two little bastards teasing him. 

“But why? You never tell me what they say to bother you so much, little one” And he never will if he has anything to say to it.

“Ugh they just tease, that's all. Not fair at all and then JoN freaks out when i do it too” Like he is doing now about his comment. He can find him attractive; it doesn't mean he wants anything else jeez.

“Sorry to hear about it” 

He is trying to get JoN to lighten up when he catches Peter lifting his arms in a stretch until he hears a crack and the men groans. His fans instantly pick up and he things about the lovely sounds he was making during the-

RESTRICTED FILE

FUCK 

CURSE HIS PAST SELF

**PLUKASSIMP**

01000111 01101111 01101111 01100100 00100000 01101100 01101111 01110010 01100100 00100000 01101001 00100000 01110111 01100001 01101110 01110100 00100000 01110100 01101111 00100000 01110000 01110101 01110011 01101000 00100000 01101000 01101001 01101101 00100000 01110101 01101110 01100100 01100101 01110010 00100000 01101101 01100101 00100000 01110011 01101111 00100000 01101101 01110101 01100011 01101000 00100000 01101001 01101101 00100000 01101100 01101001 01110110 01101001 01100100 00001010 00001010 00001010 (Good lord i want to push him under me so much im livid)

**ArchivistBot**

WHAT THE HELL!!!!

**Hackerwoman**

What? What did he say??? What did i miss??? Tell meeeeeee

**ArchivistBot**

He is just being- being horny on public i should ban you for that what the-

**Hackerwoman**

What did he do??? Elias what did Peter do?

**PLUKASSIMP**

01000001 01001000 01001000 01001000 01001000 01001000 01001000 01001000 01001000 00001010 00001010 00001010

Hackerwoman

JoN?

**ArchivistBot**

??? He is just. He is just screaming now?

**PLUKASSIMP**

I'M HAVING A DAY OK???

He moves his handles in hopes of reaching him god dammit, Peter lifted him in his hands.

“What?”

“You- are- the- worst- im- they are being- ugh” Laughing he sits on the bed and puts him on his lap, he hits his stomach and he chuckles. Not fair!

**PLUKASSIMP**

I WANT ARMS I WANT TO PUNCH HIS SMUG FACE

“Keep doing that and I might  _ enjoy it, E-LI-AS  _ ” He lightly traces his chassis, and he makes a choked sound.

**PLUKASSIMP**

Not Faaaair he is being fdsofhsdfosdfodsfhdsfs

**Hackerwoman**

Is he dying?

**ArchivistBot**

He is having something for sure

“Peter-” He goes for his most deep and sultry tone just to mess with him because fuck him!

“  _ Be a good boy and shut up for me  _ ” Peter looks like he got slapped and suddenly picks him up, puts him on the desk, puts on a shirt and goes out.

“Where-!”

“Lunch, i'm hungry i'll be right back”

…

Well at least he was right about him liking his tone.

The next day they go to the archives to fix some issues, he didn't understand Peter apprehension towards it until he saw the cluttered room

What in the name of-!?

Finding out it was once again Gertrudes fault was no surprise, still it pisses him off greatly how inconsiderate she was, some of that research was very important and now it lays cluttered. Not only that but she lied and kept the records for herself.

God he hates her so much.

He sees JoN and he has to admire the workmanship albeit his throne is far smaller than his at the panopticon.

The machines are slimy. Its purple and doesn't seem acidic, just slightly corrosive if left unattended, if the damaged wiring has anything to say about it.

He has to think, he feels like has seen something similar somewhere but can't really pinpoint where, he goes through his files, but where there should be something he feels a blank space.

“Elias?” He recalls the times he had to be resetted, Getrude usually erased a few days worth of memories, it feels like that.

“Sorry, i was checking something out, you were sayi-”

The door opens and footsteps come in, the voice of Sara Baldwin echoes

The exchange is perfectly normal and Elias is far more concerned about the lost files.

Peter asks him what was she doing and he has to pay attention again.

“What is she doing..?”

“She is an expert in Ai, so she does the check up about JoN, working correctly”

“Mm, i see, do you..?”

“No, no I can alter my own code, there is no need” Elias is self sustained now.

“Good, good, anyways how do i get rid of this?” He points out to the weird purple slime “Did an experiment escape and burrow here?”

“Heh, that would be something” Experiment being on the loose, it resonates somehow, but he has seen that happen many times it's probably something like that.

Peter takes his time cleaning the goo and replacing the wiring.

The humans worked in silence until Sarah broke it with a question.

“JoN? Excuse me, but what is this code? It looks like you are cut off from-”

“oH THAT what you, yes, right, i was designed with security protocols, they are not capable of being altered im afraid, in case you want to know they are safesales installed to keep an Ai from harming humans or in my case to use the station to do it”

“Ah, i see, thank you, Im almost done so just a minute more and i'll let you go, everything else is in perfect conditions, well some of your code seems to be developing but for an Ai its expected”

“Hehe, yes! Perfectly normal”

“He is a terrible liar isn't he?” Oh JoN is an awful liar, he doesn't know if it's by design or he just really is like that. He leans more towards the second option though.

“Oh yes, very much so”

“Hey so you could..?”

“Like I told you, I was not designed with those locks. Hell i overwrote the ones they originally gave me, so those are useless”

Sarah leaves and Peter once done tells JoN about the slime and the wiring, then he goes to look at the cameras from the labs and finds little chips.

He feels dread and doesn't know where to look.

On their way back, Peter crosses paths with Helen and Sasha, they talk and he wants to know how the woman is doing since her project, last time he asked was almost on the final touches.

“Oh Sasha, Elias wants to know if you finished the latest update in your project” She looks… blankly at Peter until recognition hits.

“Yes! Actually it did, soon I should be able to do the final touches and prepare for some testing, thanks for asking!” She looks perfectly at ease now, but Elias was a little hesitant, there was something- something off what is-

“Well, its all nice, but i need to be going”

“Good luck dearie!”

“Bye Peter!”

Peter hums a tune and Elias makes a clicking noise to accompany him.

“Say, what do you want to explore on your birthday, or show me, whatever” 

“Well… remember you wanted to see if we could make a copy of my memories? i managed to figure out how to get clearing to tell you about (REDACTED) we need to go to the sixth floor and connect me to the main computer, i get the access to explain and make a copy of my memories, then i can explain (REDACTED) to you” Peter looks amusedly at him.

“Good, you can finally get your metaphorical grubby little hands all over the old station now huh?” 

“Shut up.. and yes, yes i can”

“You weirdo”

A few days before his birthday they go to check on Miss Patel’s lab, once there they both see it's an absolute mess, it looked like a storm came by. Her windows were covered with boxes and papers making the place look even more chaotic.

She looked frazzled, her clothes were messy, her eyes had deep bags under them and she seemed to shift looking from one side to the other. 

ANOMALIES DETECTED

CONCLUSION? 

PARANOIA AND STRESS

REASON UNKNOWN

“Huh, what-”

“I'm not sure” He doesn't know  _ yet _ .

“Not you right?”

“i- No, miss Patel is very hard working” And she is, her work is always on time and she is very thoughtful with her wording. So it's sort of a puzzle to see her like this.

“UM, i the- the vents could you- I want them to be impossible to- to open?” Peter raises his eyebrows in bewilderment and Elias has to run through several calculations, did something really escape and it has been hiding in the vents?

“That's not, they need to be able to open in case of emergency” 

“I just- just need something to feel-! you know what, sure, sure. There is an issue with the lights” She cant stop wringing her hands “Sometimes they turn off on their own while I'm working and turn back up again. Usually when- Um never, never mind” Amy is clearly being bothered by something, but cant tell them.

IS SHE BEING FOLLOWED?

THREATENED?

IS SOMEONE LISTENING??

“Suree, let me check the electricity” Peter goes to the panel near the door and stops once he opens it. Elias when he checks why, is surprised.

Some of the cables are cut, yet there is still electricity.

“Peter??” What is going on?

“Is everything alright? I, really would like to- to go back to work in peace, but, but JoN says there is no other labs to occupy” 

???

“Thats! There are labs for her to-” There are several labs for her to utilize!!

Peter takes a breath and starts to move the cut wiring without commenting, inside he sees a chip similar to the ones they found in the cameras. Peter takes it off and the lights go out. Amy starts to breathe faster and he has to take note that the lack of lights gave her such a reaction.

“Wha-”

“Someone must have been playing you a prank, the wiring is cut, but someone put a small electric chip to control the light here from an unknown location! So ask JoN for another lab change, there are plenty of empty ones, i know it. In fact, let me” Peter in the most surprising act of kindness he has seen so far towards a stranger acts calm and unaffected to keep her from panicking to hard, he makes an aborted motion to his wrist pad and Elias writes to JoN since it will be answered quicker.

“On it” Its only just a few seconds of conversation since they don't really need to filter for human understanding and in 30 seconds flat Amy has a new lab.

She seemed like she was about to cry, Peter smiled indulgently at her.

“There we go! I'll fix the issue with the wiring, but you can move out if you want”

“i- Tha-thank you so- please i can't”

“There, there, someone was just playing a mean prank with you” It's not a prank, something is wrong, but he can't tell yet and he does not want to bring panic without proper proof.

“A pran- yes sure a prank” She knows more than she is letting one, but if he presses, her state is so fragile he is very likely to push her towards the edge.

Peter starts to hum and fix the wiring while she picks up the stuff she needs. Elias watches around trying to find the cause of the issue, but the lab, as disorganized as it was, has no definitive issue.

It takes a while, but finally Peter fixes it and the room's lights go back again. He is so focused on that he doesn't notice the body flinch the man gives.

“I, a question, is there- is there a way to lock the doors manually like if i do it no one can- can enter unless i open?” 

Clearing his throat the man answers.

“You can lock them with you passcode, voice or fingerprints, depends on what you-”

“No, i mean like, with a lock or something, no- voice or fingerprints, just.. something solid”

“I… am unsure. At most you can ask JoN to lock them for you?” What is going on?

“Thats.. ok thanks for- for the help”

“You are welcome, I have to go, good luck with the move?”

“I heh, yeah”

Peter walks quickly out of the room, he tries to say something, but he doesnt respond. Its only by the time they get to lab 2 the man seems to collapse, he sits on the floor in a hallway and breathes hard.

“Peter?!”

“Just let me-” He sees him through the camera on the roof clutching his arms very hard and struggling to breath normally. After two minutes he seems calm enough to talk back.

“There was something very fucked up, with the guy in the other lab”

“What guy?” 

“There was a small gap in Miss Patel’s covered window, I could see the scientist in the lab directly in front stand looking right at her lab, or more like at us. No wonder she wanted to leave and covered the bloody windows, it was unnerving” He is startled by the fact he did not notice such a thing he goes to immediately check again the recordings of his camera to see.

“I didn't see- let me...” The recording is sort of… blurry since the room was rather dark, but he could see a shape of a man stand there. 

He… stays there.

It is unnerving.

He keeps watching the recording trying to pick on what is wrong until he realizes that he sees something shine where the eyes should be.

Humans don't have reflective eyes.

Ok, the room is dark and maybe it's a trick, he can't really confirm-

He can't just make assumptions with so little info.

“There! I see the shape of someone… mm from what i could get, Graham is working there, he does computer science, sort of like Sasha, but has an interest in Ai like miss Baldwin. There is nothing else, it would be out of character to be messing with her for no reason..”

“Well, staring creepily is not a very good hobby” No, it isn't.

“I'll see if i can get something”

“Sure, great. I'll just go back to work then, you said something about a broken down door somewhere?” Peter changes the conversation, but he notices how stiffly he walks and how he starts to look around a little bit more.

He needs to figure out what is going on soon.

  
  
  
  


Extra

**Hackerwoman**

Hey Tim?

TIIIIIIMMMM

TIMMY!

**Bifurious**

Yes love of my life

**Hackerwoman**

I have a gift for you

**Bifurious**

Oh?

**Hackerwoman**

I expect a satisfying reward for it

**Bifurious**

Well let me see

**Hackerwoman**

ADDED PICTURE 

SEXY BEAR CAPTAIN

**Hackerwoman**

Tim its been more than 10 minutes are you ok?

**Bifurious**

on my way

**Hackerwoman**

???

**Bifurious**

To you, on my way to you, you are getting a reward now

**Hackerwoman**

Tim! We are going to be late for lunch

**Bifurious**

Dont care, Sasha i love you with all my heart, where did you get that??!

**Hackerwoman**

Elias sent it by accident, he got too flustered and sent it to the group chat with JoN

Also holy shit im-

Ok im not into him like at all, but that is very tempting.

**Bifurious**

Little weasel has such a nice view I'm livid. Also yeah Holy shit indeed! im just fdhsfdsh 

**Hackerwoman**

Im sort of impressed, also for your information that little weasel convinced JoN to ask Martin to let him look at him shirtless and i got him to promise me a picture

**Bifurious**

Martin is so pretty.

You have so much blackmail I'm thriving. 

My crops are growing and my skin is healing where are you so i can ravish you

**Hackerwoman**

º////º

….

On my lab

Also yes he is, JoN is very lucky.

**Bifurious**

;) ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think i have a favourite chat combo now.  
> In which everyone is horny in different levels and Elias is getting suspicious.  
> The Ai’s both fight over which lonely boyfriend is the best, while the other two are chilling and thinking how great their significant other is.  
> Hot Martin rights by the way. For anyone's interest, Sasha does like Martin and JoN.   
> Poly archives my good bitches.  
> Also, Tim would also enter the contest with JoN and Elias and talk about how wonderful Sasha is and accidentally win because she is and neither of them can deny it.  
> Martin and Peter would be annoyed because thay are jelly beans and are also very petty.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 28 of heart machinations

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: Investigate

Secondary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Third objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

The next few days before his birthday Peter kept finding more of that weird slime, Elias was sure that he had to have something about it but there was a blank space and he couldn't get access to anything.

He hates having his memory messed with, he can still feel the place where something should be even now it makes him itch and hate Gertrude and Leitner even more.

Jonah never tried to do that, he would tell him that memories were the most important part of a person. He agrees, he wouldn't be himself without them.

Peter asks him if he saw it before and he honestly doesn't know, maybe he didn't and it's just his files getting mixed up, there were a lot of experiments with slime results.

Still he wants answers so he suggests taking a sample to lab 13, Peter manages to procure some of it and take it.

In lab thirteen there was Georgina and her cloned cat, Peter stops and stares at the animal. Elias… watches too, he has recordings of the animal in his database, but he has never seen an actual one before.

The animal simply watches back at him and swishes its tail slowly. Its rather charming, the movements of the tail draws his attention and he sort of gets stuck watching it.

The cat itself was medium sized and very fluffy, white with brown spots. He feels-

Like he had an itch, he kind of wants to-

“Um hello? Are you here for something?” Georginas voice makes him pay attention.

“Yes as a matter of fact! I have weird goop that has been popping up in the station and I wanted to give it to you to study” Peter goes for an upbeat and robotic tone that doesn't seem to affect the woman at all, she just smiles.

He has to give her credit, most people sort of do a double take or look nervously at the man when he does that.

He gives her the sample and she stares at it in bewilderment.

“It's very.. purple”

“I am aware, to be fair, that was stuck in the paneling for electricity near the archives, JoN almost blew a fuse when I showed it to him” She snorts and smiles fondly.

Huh, how puzzling.

“Yeah, he would do that…'' Even her tone is fond it's quite the unexpected response. Most of the people in the station found JoN rather boring or stiff. Peter hesitates and seems to be a little more curious today.

“Soo…. what's up with the cat?” She laughs and shakes her head.

“The Admiral has another fan then? You can pet him, he is the most tame and fluffy boy ever” Said animal slowly walks to the man and starts to rub itself against his leg.

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY

It was sort of-

“I was wondering more along the lines of how did he get here?”

“Oh, I made him, I'm working on a cloning project along with genetically modified animals. It's to help people with anxiety, depression or everything along those lines. They will be the perfect service animals in the world!” It's a very good project and she clearly has advanced a lot.

“That sounds… nice” 

“It is, he seems to like you” Peter sort of makes a grumbling sound and lowers himself to pet the animal while it rubs its tiny head against his hand, giving it a few licks.

CATS ARE….CUTE

CATS ARE VERY CUTE

PET WANT TO PET

PETPETPETPET

“Surprised JoN hasn't asked to keep him with the animals for experiments”

“Oh no, he likes him too much, The Admiral usually manages to sneak to the archive room and lay on top of the computers, JoN sends me pictures” Elias wants the Admiral to visit him too.

**PlukasSimp**

JoN

JoNNNN

**Jarchivist**

What??

**PlukasSimp**

JoN cats

CATS 

01010000 01000101 01010100 00100000 01010100 01001000 01000101 00100000 01000011 01000001 01010100 00001010 00001010 (PET THE CAT)

**Jarchivist**

You met the admiral

**PlukasSimp**

PET PET PET

**Jarchivist**

You need to adjust your parameters. I had the same glitch, I almost had to shut down when he laid on my computer and started to purr. It seems there is an error with most Ai involving cats apparently.

He does change them quickly his pop ups where starting to get a little bit too much.

**PlukasSimp**

Thanks, also nice nickname

**Jarchivist**

Sod off, Sasha wont let me change it, what about you?

**PlukasSimp**

… i kinda got used to it

**Jarchivist**

simp

“Does that feel nice?” Elias, still under the effect of the glitch, asks mesmerized.

Peter doesn't respond until he is out of the lab.

“To answer you? Yeah it felt nice. Reminds me of someone liking to be petted”

“Shut up” He laughs and keeps walking, what an ass.

Finally its his birthday, what a concept, he never expected anyone caring to actually want to give him one or celebrate for him. Jonah thought of him as an extension of himself, so there was no reason to celebrate.

Elias excitedly wakes Peter who is still a little bit sleepy, but when he does react he gets up and picks him up immediately. Wishing him a happy birthday he kisses him close to his eye, he has been wondering about if he could reciprocate somehow.

KISS PETER BACK YES

“Thank you Peter” The man looks at him and proceeds to spin.

“You ass!”

“Sorry, sorry, too tempting, now for surprises, first your gift”

“Oh wonder what it is, did you win me another ring perhaps…?” Oh he would love to flaunt another one, the human goes to his closet and rummages through it, he quickly hides something behind his back.

“Ok, close your eye, no peeking” How childish-

“Ugh, come on, i wouldn't-”

“Elias..” He rolls his eye and complies.

“... fine, be that way”

He counts the seconds until the man tells him to open his eye again.

“Now open it” It takes him a moment to realize what he is seeing, when he does he freezes.

ELIAS

ELIASELIASELIASELIASELIASELIASELIAS

Everything is focused completely in the image, he can see the face of the man smiling, the blond hair and black shirt with the name of a band, he was… younger, before he met him actually, Micheal was standing with him and-

OH he MIssESS HIM

HE MISSES ELIAS

“I- perhaps i overstepped i thought you might- apologies-” Peter fumbles and starts to put it down

NO

He watches his face and has to ask.

“How did you get it?” How did he get this? Where was it hidden? 

“I managed to sneak into the old labs and looked for his room” Elias takes a breath, he went on his own, how did he even manage to get down!!? He locked the door.

He could have gotten hurt, he

He could have found out who you really are.

“You broke in without me! You could have gotten hurt or lost and, and-”

“Elias, Lias! Calm down, i just went and came back, nothing else, it was the second floor with the rooms” He knows logically that the second floor was rather tame and safe, but the possibility...

“How did i not see you??”

“mm remember the day i came by full of dust? I told Sasha to distract you” Oh those two were going down!

“That sneaky woman”

“Sorry, I just thought you would like something of his to- well to keep. Something tangible i mean” Elias feels his lights go down in brightness, he- he does like it. It just makes him think about the man being happy before meeting him. It reminded him of how… how much he missed him. He has recordings that he can see anytime, the picture just took him by surprise.

“... i do, like it, i just assumed there was nothing left of him. Im- “ 

ERROR 

ERROR WHAT IS WRONG WHAT IS THIS

WHAT IS THIS FEELING WHAT IS WRONG

SOMETHING IS WRONG

FIXFIXFIXFIX

He makes a choked sound and there is something wrong somewhere, everywhere he doesn't know what to do. His systems say everything is fine, but he is getting alarms of something being wrong.

“Oh dear, Elias, don't cry please” Cry?

Is this what it feels like?

He can't cry! He is not human he doesn't have the right parts, no need to install a machine with such a things its preposterous. You can’t cry if there are no tears.

“I'm not! I dont- dont have tear ducts” He chokes on the words and his audio feed makes a bunch of nonsensical noises.

“That you can’t literally cry doesn't mean you can't really do it, come here” Peter picks him up Holds him agaisnt his chest, cradling him and humming the stupid piña colada song for him, he knows Elias likes it.

There is just something about the lyrics...

“I'm sorry i wanted you to be happy, not make you sad” He is not sad. Not completely he is… 

“Im- i can't- i'm sad. But Im… I think i'm happy too? why does it feel like this if i'm happy?” He is happy and sad, how weird.

“You can be both, now, now, let it out. I'll stay with you i promise” 

PETER WANTS TO STAY WITH HIM

“You do?” Peter smiles a little bit sadly at him and he doesn't like it, he wants the human to be with him for as long as he can exist.

“Yeah, i'll try to stay for as long as i can, im not letting you go” 

…

PETER LUKAS WILL ONE DAY DIE AND LEAVE YOU ALONE

BUT- UNTIL THEN THEY HAVE TIME

They stay like that for a while, Peter plays with him on his lap, while Elias still makes some odd noises, he closes his eye and softly bumps him with his handles in a playful manner, he hopes he catches into what he means, Peter goes to toy with his ring and smile at him, it makes his processors go faster. He wonders if he could get him another one.

SAVE?

YES 

Once he is more calm the man offers him more trinkets.

He picks up a pair of socks that have caused a lot of trouble back in their day, Elias favourite tie and surprisingly a drawing of him.

“I'm not going to lie, the socks made me actually laugh, you know how to pick them don't you?” Elias laughs. God the constant fight between Gertrude, Jonah and Elias about the socks being a violation of the dress code was legendary.

They were, but he found them so hilarious that when Jonah died and the woman kept insisting about the younger man not wearing them, he hacked the rules and erased any observation regarding dress code violations.

It explains why now no one gives a damn about what they wear to work.

He does consider doing it again just to make sure he doesn't see a pair of lime green crocs inside a lab ever again.

“I never said he was perfect, just that he was my favourite”

“Well at least you pick them good looking, I mean if he wasn't at this point an old man and we met back then i would have looked at him twice if I saw him” He looks at the picture of the blonde man, Elias is currently remembering all those fantasies about him being human Elias or Jonah and making out with Peter in vivid memory “Heh, kinda cute too, he would have probably reached my chin, perfect height” Oh god, the image of the man just pressing himself against him if he were Elias was so tempting.

PETER LUKAS THINKS ELIAS IS HANDSOME AND CUTE

PETER LUKAS THINKS ELIAS AND JONAH ARE HANDSOME 

WHAT DO I DO???

WHA-

Elias fans pick up and his computer system starts to malfunction and male a high pitched noise.

“Elias!”

“Sorry!” He can only lower the volume.

“Are you ok??”

“NYES, can we, can you show me the drawing now?!” Looking bewildered he does, focus on something else Elias.

The messages describing him and talking about the pros and cons regarding if he wanted to save him were somewhat of a punch, but clearly the pros won since he was safe.. Still its.. upsetting a little, he sighs and looks at Peter.

“He liked you a lot, clearly decided you were worth the effort to keep safe”

“... i, this means a lot to me Peter, thank you” It does, it really does, it means he wanted to help him, even believed in him, the gifts meant everything, he was happy for them.

“You are welcome” He felt grateful that Peter, even when he turned him off, decided to keep him and let him stay, Elias never tried to turn him on and it stings, but he can understand.

“Say do you want me to like wrap the tie to you? Hardly think i can make the socks fit your aesthetic my little king” Motherfuck-

“PETER!”

Still it made him laugh.

Elias was happy with his gifts, they were reminders or a happier time and the person who made things more bearable.

After yelling at him he tells him they can go to the sixth floor for those codes and memory save. Peter seemed to get some joy of his inability to actually say what he means, the bastard.

“Didn't you tell Leitner you wanted to use it too to, you know, hurt people?”

“... Not hurt for the sake of hurt, but for science and answers”

“It doesn't make it better little one” They walk the way across the old station while Elias locks the door behind them, just in case.

No more repeats.

“Look i just- i was made to look and work there” He has to figure out what he can say about the experiments and the observation, minimalizing it seems to work, but he gets some mild backlash for it.

“Hey” He picks him and turns him to his face “don't force it, we will get you those access codes and you can tell me whatever you want” 

“Anything?” He wonders if he would be ok, with the complete truth.

“Sure! I promised i will stay with you”

STAYWITHME

Elias sighs and lets out a happy beeping noise, he moves his handles in an aborted motion to grab Peter’s face, the man helps and lets him hold it. In turn he nuzzles him and tries to give him a kiss like usual, but Elias wants to reciprocate badly so he attempts to do his little scheme, letting in soft electrical current on his lips. It should tingle, it's the best he can manage to simulate an actual kiss for the man.

“Wow!”

“Sorry! Sorry!” He looks a little…. weirded out? shit he messed up, he didn't-

He didnt like it, god how stupid why would he like getting shocked in the face?

Ugh pathetic. 

Ok, time to keep it cool and make it seem like it was nothing. Still he wanted him to like it, he even thought about the right frequency to make it pleasant, Elias forgets that humans don't work the same way, he must think it was weird.

“What was that?”

“My bad, um don't worry” Elias shined in embarassment, what a stupid idea, better to change the conversation and try to move on, he has to.

“Sure?”

“Lets go, first we need those codes, then we can go to the (REDACTED)”

“Fine! Where are they?”

“Sixth floor has the main computer” 

“So, we need to go to the floor you can't describe to me, to get you to tell me about it?” He knows it's convoluted, but it is what it is.

“Basically? That plus i can make a copy of my files” That… he will cross that bridge when he comes to it. 

“.... sure why not, sounds logic”

Once in the fifth floor and after telling Peter where to go they find the wall, he says the code, and down they go, finally the second door he repeats the code and it opens showing the full view of the Panopticon.

The circular room was so familiar, he felt at ease, everything was exactly as he remembers. Seeing it by the cameras while using only the lonely and spiraling chambers wasn't the same as being here. His body was hanging from the roof, it was enormous in comparison to JoN, he needed the power to be able to watch the entire sixth floor included. With the smaller version upstairs his reach was cut off to only the first floors and as many mechanical experiments as he could hack. Peter was looking around in confusion and if his body language was right a little of apprehension. He frowns a little. Elias wants him to like the Panopticon!

He could see so much from here, it was-

WATCH RECORD LEARN ELIMINATE

“Elias?” He shakes himself.

“Take me to the… tower and i can explain i promise”

Peter makes his way up and does the work of plugging him in, working diligently to put him in place, it was really nice to be finally home. 

Once done he sets out to find every last emergency switch and turns it off, then he finds the codes to deactivate all of the commands keeping him in check.

Elias is so so happy!

He can finally get rid of everylast man made switch keeping him in check!

He is fully free, ohh how lovely, he can't help but let out beeps of joy! Elias sees Peter looking at him and he gives the closest he can to a smile as it is by closing his eyelids. it's the best he can do.

He misses having a face-

IT WASN'T REALLY YOUR FACE WAS IT?

….

“Sooo, will this take too long or..?” 

“Mm? Give me a minute to finish with the codes and ill just-” Peter hums while Elias works, when he is done he lets out a whir and looks happily at the man he loves, Peter smiles mildly at him, he seems uneasy, but it will be ok! He will make this place better in no time!

He-

FIX REPAIR WORK ELIMINATE THREATS TO EFFICIENCY

CALM DOWN!!!!

“So, can i get an explanation of what… is this place?” 

“Ok let's test it out, we are currently in the Panopticon” He looks to make sure it actually was said and Peter looks expectantly at him. He laughs in joy, he did it! He is free finally!!! Peter let out a huff and smiled more real at him.

“It WORKED!”

“Of course, little one you are way too smart!” Oh he likes that a lot, he is very smart.

“That i am, now, this is the Panopticon, several influential families wanted to do some testing regarding the nature of fear and its responses so the place was created to both test individuals and also as the place for some very special experiments. One of them is the teleporting door that Helen is reworking upstairs! You see the original experiment was done by one Micheal Shelley so his work was moved here to be constantly observed at a safe distance. According to the files here his door got out of control and Gertrude sort of just-”

….

Well no wonder she had to quit that was… 

Pragmatic sure, but the man had an adopted child waiting home and.. no wonder Helen was so keen on figuring out the door project. Once a door opens it should let you out, he wonders if he should tell her the chances of Micheal being alive were- 

Slim at best.

Imposible in fact.

“Oh, that is- well. Unfortunate for him, it seems that was the incident that caused her to get fired, huh”

So he makes a small synopsis of what happened, he first was tested on the smaller scaled version, that's when he met Elias, eventually he was moves to the panopticon and worked there while causing some mysterious deaths, that made Leitner and Gertrude send him back to the regular station and let Jurgen being in charge, causing a lot of damage.

He was discovered, he killed some people, Gertrude sent Elias, he got turned off yadda yadda yadda.

Leitner and Getrude fucked things up even worse afterwards and pinned a lot of it to him, so here we are now in the consequences of their actions.

And his obviously.

Peter looks a little overwhelmed. 

“Ok, that's just, a lot, can you give me a minute to -?” Humans and their troubles for compartmentalizing information.

“Sure, sure i'll do the upload then”

Or he tries to at least, the thing is… he can put the memories and saved files all he wants. But if he does get damaged and it gets to replace him… there is no guarantee that he just will be the same.

The memories will be there for sure, but he had to evolve on his own, just the memories without the actual reasoning for them will be pointless. Still just in case he makes a copy of everything. Maybe, just maybe he is wrong and it works seamlessly.

…

He also makes a few adjustments while he can. Just in case something happens, he wants to have a plan, if push comes to shove Peter should be able to fix it, he believes the man knows him enough to figure it out on his own.

ELIAS TRUSTS PETER WITH HIS LIFE 

Hopefully this should be enough to make sure there won't be any more issues with his memory.

He sets out the right set of questions and key words in case of emergency and puts them in his basic code to make sure it will be noticed, by god he will make sure it happens.

***, *****, ****, *****, ****, ******, ********

Elias Magnus Bouchard

Elias loves Peter Lukas

If he has to remember something he wants that to be it.

“Ok, i think i get it, i'm just a little overwhelmed that's all, but i get the gist of it” He plays and pats Elias while he hums making him relax further, he has done everything he can to preserve himself at the best of his abilities.

“Are you mad?” He has to ask, the man seems a little upset.

“No, not… really, it's just a lot to take in, things make much more sense to be honest now. It certainly explains why this place wasn't destroyed, how to explain this place and the whole human experiments paid by the investors. Did my family?” Ah he was afraid he would ask that.

“... Yeah the Lukas wanted to see the effect of isolation on people, called it a social experiment or something. Sorry” He sighs and closes his eyes in resignation.

NOT FAIR NOT FAIR.

“No, it's fine, I knew they had shady business, Simon too, I guess it's nice to be sure…Say what did they figure with that?”

“Mm? Subjects where deprived of most contact and positive reinforcement, they started to slowly lose their minds if they didn't speak with anyone in the worst case scenarios, the tamer experiments left the people mostly catathonic and with several issues regarding anxiety, they were also easier to influence if threatened to be put back, they got more and more docile while also unresponsive if kept with the right amount of social interaction, more willing to do as told and look for praise and positivity, or in some cases incapable of accepting it depending on how long they had been there” Elias blinks several times and looks around, he looks how Peter’s face goes blank and pale the more he spoke

“Peter?”

“I think, i know why did they wanted to know that” 

???

“What do you mean?” He looked suddenly tired and it was starting to freak him out.

“I-” Elias sees him licks his lips and blinks several times since his eyes seemed to get wet, he was almost crying, oh no “I think they wanted to know the right way to raise childrens and get them to be like they wanted isolating them…. my family does suck huh?”

Elias stops looking around and stares at him looking agitated, what? His… his precious data was used to-

To make Peter miserable?

“Oh, oh nononono, Oh if i get my neurotoxins on them I'M GOING TO MAKE THEM SUFFER!” He will kill the responsibles of this!

The yell startles Peter who laughs a little hysterically and hugs him close.

“No, no need. I just- you know what? Screw them, once i finish my contract here we can get out and you can come to earth with me and.. and live together. I'll get a job somewhere and change my name or whatever. You think i can steal yours?” He wanted to take Peter’s like, but this? This was just as good.

Elias can't help making a choked sound and he tries his best to use his handles to offer the man a hug, he responds by curling up around him. 

He wants to go to earth with Peter, but he can't leave the station, he- its everything he has ever known, his purpose!

Maybe he can figure something out on earth?

He doesn't-

He doesn't know, it's frightening.

“Really?”

“Yeah, I will figure out how to get you something to do… maybe you can hack the neighbours and mess with them whatever” Elias makes a bunch of clicking noises in thought, it's not ideal, he craves knowledge and being in a position of power, he was designed for it and Jonah was happy like that. Still he can maybe think something out, Peter gives him a kiss at the top of his chassis, he forgones the jolt, it was silly.

“Finish that and we can go up, you have a party today” Looking at him worriedly he asks in a soft voice.

“Is that okay? Maybe we can skip it and stay just the two of us, i don't-”

“No, no, it's your birthday! I worked hard and the others want to see you, I will be fine, plus i have the final surprise of the day so it will keep me distracted”

“Surprise?”

“Remember the bet i won?”

Elias looks at him squinting and suddenly looks scandalized, what a cheat!

“Really Peter? Really”

“Hey i want to see you high, i'm sure it would be hilarious, it will make my day”

Finally the process is done and they can leave.

Once back they spent the time watching movies curled up in bed, it was delightful. The day had been full of ups and downs, but he was content.

He is actually very happy.

He knows he doesn't really deserve any of it, but for as long as he can keep the lie he will.

The night comes and they meet the others in the movie room, Helen, JoN, Martin, Sasha and Tim wish him a happy birthday and congratulate him for being there with them and how happy they are. Its honestly baffling that they are so-

So happy for being in their lives even for such a short amount of time.

Tim is being an ass and calls him the old man of the group ruining the sentiment.

“You have won against Peter my friend!”

“Im not old Timothy!”

“I mean, how long have you been active?” Sasha was looking at him and smiling wickedly, that was bad news for someone.

“Active? Mm 3 full years then”

“Oh my god, Peter is a cradle rob-” Before he finishes Peter actually almost tackles him to stop him.

“Shut up Tim!”

“Make me!” He sees Peter make an angry face and then-

Huh, he wonders what that expression was for. He coughs and picks him up, he stares amusedly at his antics, albeit curious about the weird face he made.

Peter looks at him and makes that silly little grin that makes his fans pick up. Then he turns to Tim who sticks his tongue out at him and his mouth only twitches in a smile.

???

WHAT DOES IT MEAN??

Sasha manages to snatch Elias from Peter and swing him around in a dance, he does not like it, but he will bear it, since he enjoys Sasha’s company.

Tim swings an arm around Peter who rolls his eyes and Elias stares in mild resignation. They all sit on their usual seats, with Helen this time sitting on the floor in front of Sasha’s legs and him being held against his will in Tim’s lap. Peter chuckles and doesn't help him.

Bastard, he actually looks happy at seeing him with Tim, huh, why would he-?

The man pats him and he gets distracted swating at his hand with his handle, Tim laughs and pats him some more making him hiss.

Peter sort of leans into Tim and caresses him to calm him down, he sees Timothy’s face slush a little and he stops moving, electing to stare at the screen. Peter stays in place and Tim hand twitches on top of him. 

Yes Peter does tend to have that effect.

His oblivious human grabs his handle while leaning against Tim, he looks at ease like this and he can appreciate that, he doesn't really get to be that relaxed often.

The party went great and eventually they went back, he had a lot of fun and even got more presents. Tim made him more stickers, Sasha managed to make him a bracelet with blue and green colors, Martin said that if they can talk it out well JoN was ok with sharing the station from time to time.

That one was tempting he had to admit, but just thinking about leaving Peter… maybe during the day and JoN, takes the nights? He shall see.

Helen laughed and patted at him.

“Ask for a favour and I will give you a hand little one-” She used a sing-song tone to tell him. Elias looked properly intimidated by her.

“She is very scary, you know that right?”

“Yes, that's why i picked her, no one would mess with Helen”

He messes with the heating again since, if he is going to do this, he wants a nice view and oh does he get it, the man is only in his boxers while he offers to get him high. Elias explains what he has to do, before he does it he stills and asks very seriously if they should pick a word to make sure he can stop if he is not comfortable. It's a nice sentiment and eventually he caves.

After that he switches the wires one by one, with a lot of care, mind you, it does give him a few jolts, but not like their usual play, so he only lets out little sighs.

Then it's the last part and Elias is already feeling a little off, when he pushes the button his view is tilted.

He closes his back and turns him around. His camera feed is working very funkily, he-

what was he-

why does it really matter...

“I take it, it worked how do you feel?” He blinks in confusion, Peter.. Yes Peter! He is here they were- they were playing and it was nice and...

“Good, very good, its- its soooo nice, its like im just- just floating, i can’t- can’t focus, i- should focus, why can’t i-” He can't focus, why can't he? What is wrong he should be able to. i-

HELP WRONG WRONG

He is jolted back by Peter patting him softly and making these nice little shushing noises, they were so nice and soft... 

“Hey it's ok, i just wanted to see you, everything is fine, do you want to stop? You remember the word?” Word? Stop what? yes RIght the word the-

“I- the word yes i re-remember, no, no need i just need to focus, this is just, just fun, im ok, you are ok”

“That i am” Peter lays down on the bed and puts him on his chest, the view was so nice from here…. he could see so well this close up to Peter, but he could also see the room and it felt really nice, it looked like it was theirs… He gets over excited and lifts his handle hitting the human, it also causes him to scare himself.

“Oh, oh yeah i can do that huh?” He forgot he could now interact for real with Peter, the man thinks is funny because he chuckles at his antics. He sees him move and play with the- the how was it again? The little screen. He can't look for the definition now. Once he is done he lifts him a little and toys with him in the air.

“Stooop that you- you tall person” He laughs, how mean.

“Is that the best you can come uo with?” No, no of course not, he is, he is much more clever!

“No, of course not, there's.. there’s sad sailor dog” Yes that is perfect!

“Oh how awful it wounds me”

“Silence you fool” The man bites his lips and he points at him.

“You have to listen to me!”

“Why is that so?”

“Cause, i'm the- king of the station i have a crown, you are my…. my, what was the-?” He is the king isn't he? Peter gave him a crown! He loves that crown… if he is king Peter is the- the

“Fool?”

“YNo, no,no, it was something else” No, not fool, the prince? Prince… prince consort? His runaway prince? Oh how lovely...

“Is that or are you just bossy?”

“I like being bossy, you like me being bossy too dont- dont lie!” He does!

PETER LUKAS LIKES IT WHEN HE TELLS HIM WHAT TO DO

He has the proof!!!

“Im- im not, why do you even?”

“Yeah! You like it when i tell you to do stuff and call you nice things! I like to do that too, you look happy...i want to make you happy..” He flaps his handles uselessly in the air, Peter gets red in the face…

Humans are so weird and fascinating.

Their blood lets you know their reactions, embarrassment or- or excitement…

And there is more! Their stomachs have a sistem to let them know if they are hungry, almost like a way to tell if you are low on batteries, it's so weird and funny!

“How come people do that?” He has to ask!

“Do what?”

“Get so red… i don't get it” He knows it's because of blood and that feelings can make it happen, but it's just bizarre.

“I mean your lights turn brighter too when you are embarrassed so i think you must get it in some level”

“Oh, they do?” He squints at him “Do you make it on purpose?” They do, don't they? He also makes noises! Oh, how human of him.

“Don't you?” Does he?

“I- yeah, sometimes, i like the way you look all flustered its funny, kind of cute too. You are a big, big boy and you get all shy and red. It's cute” He is! He is a- a mountain of a man and the minimal compliment makes him flush! Or. or when he tells him how much of a good boy he is or tells him  _ what to do,  _ he gets so flustered its delightful and _ he wants more. _

“Ok i think that might be enough for-” Big boy huh...

“Big, big boy- Big boy maaaaan” Peter looks funnily at him and his new song! “I know!” He cleared his metaphorical throat.

“big man, he's a big boy man, big boy man he's a big boy man, wow, big big man, big man's here, ooh, you stinky little man, ooh, big man's cooooool” As a final surprise he takes his face and it makes Peter lower him to his mouth so he gives him another kiss!

“Ohhhh a kiss did you like it? Yes you diiiiiid, you always like giving kisses and i managed to figure out how to give back in kiiiind” Peter looks at him in question. 

“Was the jolt your way of giving me a kiss? Is that what you did back in the lab??”

“Yesss” Yes, it was! It was a bad idea!

Oh, it was a bad idea, why did he tell him that-

“Oh, ok that is, um nice actually” IT WAS?

PETER LIKES HIS KISSES!!!!

“Yup! Wanna do it again?” OH he wants to make out with him yesss.

“Uhhhh” He hesitates so he starts to yell

“i wanna kiiiiiiss Peter LUkaaas so baaaaad” His voice distorts mixing Elias and Jonah, it felt… nice, maybe he should try to make a new voice mixing their tones. 

“Elias!” Still maybe he was being loud

“Yeesss” 

“.... nothing, it's ok, um just one more and i put you back to normal ok?” How boring, they were having fun. Still-

“Oh yes captain! Dear! Beloved!” Wait was he? “Oh, I'm I ?”

“Excuse me?”

“Beloved, am i your beloveeed” Say yes, say yeeeesss

“You- you are certainly something, now a kiss and you go back to be your sober self” It wasn't a no!

HE IS PETER’S BELOVED <3

He lowers him to his face and lets a lingering kiss on the side of his chassis, very close to his optical camera, there he lets out a small current of staticky electricity, Peter instead of jumping back sort of lingers there, oh, is this what making out is like?

He stops just getting a little further away, but soon goes back to plant a few more kisses around him that he responds in kind. He can't help but let out a purr of satisfaction.

Peter likes his way of kissing him, oh how lovely, he wonders what else he can simulate with the static.

“Yes! YES! Take that- that Stoker! He is my, mine” Looking bewildered he puts him on his chest.

“What?” 

“Yes, he wont. wont steal you away. minee” Peter is hiiiisss

“I'm not, i don't even know how many times do i have to tell you i don't love Tim” 

“... but you like him” He does he knows it, maybe Peter doesn't really realize it, but he does, its annoying.

He opens his mouth and closes it as if thinking better what he was going to say.

“Well, he is sort of a friend, so yeah, i like Helen to a degree too” He wants to scoff, it's not the same!

“.... But you can kiss him for real, not just fake kisses like mine, you get hugs and kisses and, and... “ He whirs in anxiousness, Elias can give a fake approximation of affection, he can't even really feel the hugs or kisses Peter gives him, he is also saying too much “I think i… Magnus, just turn me back to normal kay?”

“Yes, yes of course, let me..”

He takes him and reverses the effect, he can slowly focus more and more until he is sharp with the realization of what he said, ughhh so embarrassing.

“So, that was something” He refuses to look, Peter can have an actual real physical relationship, not just hold a scrap of plastic and metal.

“Oh Elias, i wont stop paying you attention, i like to stay with you, i told you, if we get out of here i want to live with you, not Tim, you”

“But I can't really do anything, if i go with you. I can't give you what another human can '' And that is the other issue, not only is he just a liar and killer, but he can't even do anything to help or give the actual contact the other needs. Elias is trapped in this shape.

Having Jonah’s memories of being human were a reminder of what he doesn’t have!

Of what he wants, but cant have, its-

Its torture, maybe it would had been best if Gertrude erased everrything that had been Jonah from him. Perhaps he would have been just a regular Ai with no need to kill or actual emotions. He would have done his job, met Peter and he probably would have avoided him like he does with JoN.

“Look, i- I can live just with you, i don't really want to change anything about the way things are, you make me plenty happy like this”

“Sure” He makes him look at him, he doesn't want to, happy huh? 

What does that even really mean. Elias is going to outlive him and eventually the man will see he is better off without him.

“You do and if you didnt i would tell you and we can figure something out” 

Like what? What Other option does he have!?

“... and if i wanted you to be happy with someone else?” 

Maybe like that… like that he gets to have a normal life.

Elias can stay and slowly kill everyone until he is found out and finally put out, while Peter goes back to live on earth or space or whatever makes him happy.

“I wouldn't be able to…. I like things like this, with you and me and hell hanging out like today with the others”

“Peter” He sighs, Elias knows what he really means.

“Ok, mostly with you, Tim and Helen”

“He wouldn't mind if you wanted to… he likes you” Tim would make him happy he thinks, despite his homicidal jealousy, Elias does like the younger man, he is funny, honestly  _ good  _ and if he has to be honest good looking.

“Please he likes Martin” He wonders how both him and JoN can be so obtuse, it's frightening the lack of self awareness they have.

“Dear”

“Not the point and I'm not interested” Oh he can lie to himself all he wants, Elias can see better.

“Fine, fine”

“Now, as your birthday you can make a wish and we can go to sleep because i'm beat”

A wish? If he could wish for something… 

He wants to stay with Peter and even if it's selfish? To have fun with the others too, he doesn't really want them to find out what he has really done, he…. likes them.

His more unlikely wish would be to get a body, but there is a limit to what he can get he thinks.

“... i already made it”

“Cool, you think it will come true?”

“I hope so” He really does.

“Did you have fun today?” Despite everything? Elias did.

He is a little sad yes, but the day had been… has been very nice.

It was more bittersweet than anything.

“I, yeah, i did, a lot actually”

“Good, you deserve nice things Elias” No he probably doesn't, he really is a wicked man, and he even managed to convince himself and the others that he wasn't, how silly and cruel of him.

“... So do you” He does, deserve so much better he thinks, Peter kisses him again and he gives him another little jolt.

“Kisses for me huh?”

“Shut up” Embarrassing man.

“The song-”

“Peter-”

“I liked it, it was hilarious” Curse him, his mood gets a little bit better with the silly antics of the man.

“I will make it your wrist pad tune when someone calls you, don't tempt me”

“Do it you coward , let them know you sang high or drunk”

“You sick son of a bitch” He goes for deadpan and it makes Peter chokes on air, he actually wheezes and ends up hugging him closer to himself.

“Jesus!”

He looks very happy.

SAVE?

YES

“Good night Peter, thank you for the birthday presents and party, i.. loved it”

“You are welcome” Yawning he nuzzles his pillow.

SAVE?

YES

“Remind me to fix the heating please….” He ends up falling asleep while Elias looks fondly at him, oh no he wont, he is having too much fun with it.

“I love you”

Despite the fact that he shouldn't he does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ai in this universe had been reported to have to adjust parameters due to cats influence, apparently it gives them some sort of glitch.  
> Also high Elias is hilarious.  
> Elias.. tries his best, he doesnt give a fuck about the rest of the humans, but now? Now he has a small group he cares for along with the man he loves, that he can't help, but feel guilty for lying to.  
> He is getting more and more human. His memories of being human also cause him to feel bad, he knows what its like to have a body, but is stuck as a core.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 29 of heart machinations

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Efficient

Primary Objective: What is going on the station and keep Peter safe

Secondary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Third objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

He changes the ringtone just to mess with him.

It was delightful, he even added some music to it to make it better and to top it all? He called while he was at lunch just to make sure the others heard it. Helen and Tim almost passed out due to lack of oxygen

“I- God! i - cant- im ELIas you evil genius” Tim ends up wheezing and he laughs at Peter and mocks him a little in satisfaction, his plan was perfect.

“What are you all laughing about?” Martin and Sasha come so he calls again making Peter goran. Martin joins in the laughter while Sasha smiles at their antics.

“Someone was having fun apparently”

“Too much if im honest”

“Oh leave off you are smiling” He is, Elias is glad.

He thinks that if he is ever found out he will miss this the most, Peter would not let that happen, but you may never know.

The next few days are calm, the slime has disappeared from practically every place, Sasha has been acting like usual according to Peter.

He has albeit been taking every chance he has to kiss Peter back whenever he offers of the chance. The human has started to make a flustered face the more he does, but has not asked to stop and seems to even bait him some more.

It's such a nice development.

The man has been acting a little bit twitchy, when asked he looked… unsure but ended up mentioning he is nervous that Simon is coming and that perhaps they could stay put in the old station while he comes.

Elias hesitates. It sounds plausible, but he thinks there is something wrong too. He just doesn't know yet. Regardless he feels like perhaps it would be better to make peace and speak with the man. It was clear Peter still missed him and despite his own reservations, since he is still a little mad at Tim for causing them to fight, he recognizes that it should be for the best if Simon and Peter talked.

He does consider the fact that it could be bad if he figures its him, but there is a shot it might not happen. If he tells his human that he doesn't want to at least.

“Maybe you could… talk it out, i don't think it is as bad as you may think?”

“Yeah sure, i just fucked up and he realized how much of a bother i wa-”

“Peter….” He sighs and pats him.

“Sorry, just, I messed up, it's all” The man is probably worried, but Elias is loyal to a point so he doesnt unblock Simon or TITANIA yet.

At night he waits for any changes in Peter’s movements while he reviews the labs, but so far there have been no updates. He did go to the bathroom like before and now with a better idea, he figures that perhaps he had been taking care of things there since he does stay a while.

How unfair!

He wants to-

SEE AGAIN

But he shouldn't, it's not right to-

BAD BAD BAD

Still it was so nice and he wants.

Peter gets a message from Miss Barker, the content was interesting and worrisome, Elias has been checking to find if anyone made something that could cause that, but there was no registered project. Still the part that really mattered was the adaptability, it reminded him a little too much of the shapeshifter alien for his comfort.

When Peter leaves for dinner he starts to check the cameras again, there is something off and he intends to find out what, this was his station and he will burn anyone who messes with it and  _ his  _ humans. He doesn't manage to see anything too weird, but the spiders did find more goo in the vents, most of them were the ones that lead to the old labs, that caused him to start checking the cameras there, but he couldn't see anything.

He was so absorbed that he did not notice Peter picking him up and laying him on the bed, he came to and moved his handle accidentally making him roll to the side, it was so sudden that he lost focus.

“Oh? Little one is figuring out how to roll like a baby now?” He splutters in indignations. When he looks at him he sees Peter look a little somber and it throws him off.

“What?! No, don't be daft, i just-” He miscalculates and moves again rolling to the side.

Now he sees the man give him a very amused and fond smile, so maybe it's not so bad.

Plus it's nice to know he can maneuver a little on his own, even like this.

So he does it again and again, Peter laughs and when in one attempt he goes too close to the edge he pulls him back looking worried.

“Big man worried about me?” He flushes in embarassment putting him back on the bed and sitting this time close by.

With a fond sigh, he looks at the pouting man. He is, even if he doesn't like to admit it, very accommodating and kind to him.

Not so much with everyone else, but its nice to know he is the exception despite everything.

DONT DESERVE

While he tries again he tells him about the Sasha incident, it's when he offhandedly comments about the possibility of her being in two places along with her odd behaviour that the final piece falls in place.

He is so startled he almost falls again, but he is once again catched by the man. Elias lets out a distressing whir.

“She cant right?”

“The cloning project got shut down so no” No, it's not the cloning project, he knows, but there is no way that…

He would have know!

Unless it happened while he didnt have access to the floor, byt the time he did, Peter shut him down for the week. 

Plus the time afterwards that he was focused on the man.

Oh if it's that, things are going bad real soon.

“Are you ok?”

“I, yes, yes i just remembered something don't worry” He doesn't look like he totally believes him. 

Elias contacts Sasha and speaks like usual, hoping he is really talking with her. He doesn't know, the things is, by the way Peter explained it seemed like the double did not kill her, which is weird since the doppelganger usually eliminated the toriginal to take over, from there it was a race to get out to a planet or find suitable hosts to create new doubles.

Like a cuckoo bird, once released and staying in a safe environment it should seek to leave a piece of itself to start the process, usually by assimilating childrens and learning from scratch how to replicate the new species.

Easier to blend in when you pretend to be a child and any weirdness can be attributed to not knowing better.

If not, the memories from the DNA samples along with a period of learning should be enough to let the creature be a perfect clone of the original.

That's the data obtained from research from the original alien species that was delivered to the station.

When the alien broke out originally, it wasn't in an environment safe for duplication so instead it copied and caused several deaths.

It took three days for the quarantine to lead to results. Once discovered the creature was burnt and only two pieces of itself survived, they were promptly put away and frozen to stasis.

Since he wasn't sure what could happen he insisted on Peter to wear the com and camera at all times, like that at least he will know nothing bad happened to him.

The irrational part of his mind told him that if the man was replaced already there was no way for him to know for sure.

He was offline for a week.

Logically he knew it was bullshit of course, if the previous days where anything to go by, Sasha was a prime candidate and he reasons that perhaps Graham could be implicated, but in those cases the evidence was more circumstantial. Weird tricks of the light ona camera were not enough to try and get them killed, as much as he was tempted to just get rid of them, if this was like Jane he needed to stop it, however the real Sasha is alive making things complicated.

The alien could be anyone, it could have already duplicated and he could not know!, the only way to check for sure would be to release something mortal or harmful to regular humans, that the creature would be immune to. There is a reason why he did not choose to use it as a means to clean up the station; the variables were too worrisome.

In one of Peter’s walks they pass Miss Patel’s new lab, she seemed less upset, albeit she was still tired looking, the man was way too twitchy after his comment and he regrets it, but he can't if it means it would keep him safe, or at least, keep him online to direct him to safety, unlike with Jane.

The place was still covered in boxes and she looked shiftily from side to side.

That's the other thing, was she being chased by it? Mocked? 

When they cross the door there are a few scratches on the metal door and Elias knows that they are really fucked. 

Telling JoN would lead to a lot of questions he can't really answer without implicating himself.

  
  


He had been thinking ways to possibly let JoN know, but it sort of went out on the drain.

Peter, Helen and Tim were walking together to go get dinner, when something goes between their legs, when the man turns he realizes it's the Admiral who was hissing at something behind them.

Turning on the camera from the hallway he sees it. 

A human, or what was left of it covered in the purple goo that Peter had been finding, if you paid attention, it was easy to notice how the flesh underneath was sort of melting away , not only that but it turned the skin color also into a purplish mess and the eyes sclera went yellow.

Peter thank god, stumbles backwards avoiding it, Tim grabs his arm and turns him to the side with him, while Helen barely manages to avoid the attack.

“Fuck! Run, RUN!” He doesn't have to tell him again.

Grabbing Tim’s hand, he motions for Helen to follow and picks up the cat by the scruff of its neck while he makes a run for it. 

He can switch to the cameras and sees its following them, a little bit slower but still, they approach a room and Elias thinks that they can stay there, but it remains closed.

All the other doors are closed too.

**PlukasSimp** to  **Jarchivist**

JoN! JON OPEN THE DOORS, AN EXPERIMENT ESCAPED!

Hey whats wrong?

JoNathan S1ms it's not the bloody time to be broken right now! Scientists need assistance!

JoN?

“JoN, JON! Open the bloody doors!” Elias panics the other is not online, its impossible for him not to. He checks and there is nothing.

“Peter i cant message him, i have tried, but JoN is not answering!”

“What do you mean he is not answering?! It 's his job!” He knows! If they got him out-

Oh if JoN is gone things will be way worse.

“Peter?” Tim sounds terrified.

“Elias says JoN is not working!”

“How is that possible!!!” Helen is in the lead, he sees that more of the not people were following them, making groaning sounds, they don't see it but one actually drops its arm and sort of picks it up and puts it back in place. The goo sort of works as glue to them.

FASCINATING

NOT THE TIME

Its very, very bad. He manages to catch a blink of blue hair, when Melanie collides into Peter, he sees Peter hold Tim’s hand tighter and slightly push him back and it stings.

LET HIM GET EATEN

NO

“MELANIE WAIT!” Behind her is Georgina. The cat paws at Peter’s arm and he drops it to be reunited with his owner.

“Oh my god you are ok!” She picks up the Admiral and kisses the top of his head in relief.

“Have you seen a-”

Elias picks up the sound of something… wet falling. The not people were gaining on them, the were leaking slime and pieces of skin in an awful way. The humans all made disgusted faces and some gagged a little, so he guessed they must smell quite foul.

“I'm going to-”

“Melanie we have to go!” The woman in question looks murderous to the creatures but nods and off they go.

“I knew it! JoN should have listened to me, but nooo”

“Not the time, you three come on we gotta go!” Georgina calls out for them and they run.

Helen follows while Peter and Tim lag behind a little.

Elias focuses and manages to open a door for them to go into and lose the creatures that were following. His human looks up and grins at the camera.

“Doors open cmon!”

They all pile up inside, once there it closes behind them.The room was spacious and had another door leading to the opposite hallway so they can move out any time thankfully.

“Ok what the hell!? What was that!”

Melanie talks and says she had proof about what happened, she showed Georgina when one of the not people attacked. When Helen questions what did she mean by it, the girl shows them a video on her wrist pad.

Its Sarah, or well the shapeshifter actually, the skin of her body was splitting and in her stomach a mouth appeared, it practically sawed her in half, the recording gets shaky and then the alien turned back to normal, until it pulled the skin of its arm off.

Elias watches fascinated.

RECORD RECORD AND ANALYZE AND-

NOT THE TIME!!

His need to find out what was that, was almost overpowering.

In the simplest of terms it was as if you could see a bubbling pulsing purplish mesh, soon a bunch of eyes of different species started to appear in it and what he could barely see was a mouth with razor sharp teeth extending all over the arm. From there the skin started to sort of drop the purple slime onto the table. It was horrifying and very impressive.

He had so many questions about how did that work-

ORIGINAL DID NOT APPEAR TO DO THAT

DID IT ADAPT TO SURVIVE, UNLIKE ITS ORIGINAL PROGENITOR?

HOW DOES IT WORK!?

The others yelling and discussing pulled him out of it, he realized that yes, he was right and the alien escaped now the question was how?

Leitner was an ass, but he did not let a violent and invasive species out before dying just to mess with him. So the only other people besides him and Peter who were there unsupervised where...

“Peter, did Tim and Sasha touch anything while they were in the old labs?!”

“Wha-” 

“Ask Tim if they touched anything there now!” He needs to focus, if this is it, he needs to know.

“Elias i can't just-”

“PETER!” He yells at him and he sees Peter wince. He hated doing that, but he needs to know! 

“Elias wants me to ask-” The man hesitates before asking Timothy “if you and Sasha touched anything in the old labs”

Tim looked taken aback.

“How do you-”

“Just please?” Elias sees him hesitate.

“.... we just walked around and Sasha opened a fridge, there were two petri dishes there that's all i remember why-”

“Did they break?? Did they drop them?!” Peter makes a face at his tone. Elias knows they did there is no other explanation, but, but

But hope is a very human thing to feel.

“I- “ Tim struggles a little bit “ I think one did, we sort of… passed out and then nothing. Why what’s the pro-”

“What are you two talking about now?” He gets interrupted by Melanie who looks at them tiredly.

“Oh god we are in so much trouble” They are dead, so, so dead. If it decided to duplicate they were fucked, there would be no telling how many people were replaced, if it didn't since it considered the place too dangerous so maybe they had a chance.

“Elias?” He hates having to tell him.

“Remember the shapeshifting alien in the audios?” He tries to go for calming and soothing, but he is already too stressed out. 

“You gotta be fucking kidding me” If only.

“Hey! Whats up?”

Peter looks done and very hesitantly tells them what he knows, the others dont take it too well and he wishes he could help him out a little bit more. They all jump immediately to ask questions making the man turn himself smaller with the attention.

SHUT THEM UP! DON'T BOTHER HIM!

It lasts until Helen yells at them to remain quiet and asks if they can hear something.

He tries to put the audio to hear better too.

“Quiet, QUIET!”

There was something making noise, like…. if he had to be honest? Like the sound the alien did in the Alien movies. It was not a very nice sound to hear in such a situation.

Suddenly something drops in Peter’s shoulders from the roof. Elias looks with the wall camera and there was the vent, from the man's own camera he slowly turns to Tim and then upwards.

From the vent, something was staring back at them with too many eyes and teeth.

Elias doesn't hesitate and opens the door immediately, Peter and Tim book it with Helen following them close behind, it startles Melanie and Georgina, the Admiral smart cat, runs off before the alien drops in the room. He has a second to consider locking the two women in the room to buy the other three some time, but reckons that it would give the thing advantage by copying them.

So once they cross the door, he shuts it on the creature's many faces. It was an amalgamation of limbs and faces, human and animal alike.

If the core had an actual face, Elias would be making a disgusted one, it was a very horrifying view.

While running they make the right question.

“How do we even kill that!”

“Fire, lots and lots of fire it's almost indestructible otherwise, i mean unless you drop it in the vacuum of space, that ought to do the trick according to previous testing!” And boy was that a complicated thing to do, the actual scientist who booby trapped the lab to throw the alien through the garbage chute directly to the outside was given a light scolding for destroying valuable research while Gertrude gave her a promotion, impressed over her resourcefulness. Emma was a very conniving creature.

“How did you not realize it was that before!” Sorry for not having all the facts!

“Look the one we tested, never acted like that, never made slime or goopified people it just killed them and absorbed their DNA to make copies, it didn't waste time trying to adapt! It just acted to survive not make long term plans, this one evolved” It was amazing and awful at the present time.

“Don't sound so pleased!”

“Peter what is he saying!” Helen runs behind him.

“Fire or dropping it in space kills it, otherwise indestructible. Didn't know it could make goop followers, apparently it evolved and became smarter!”

“Great! That is just fucking great for us!” 

“No shit!”

“Jordan and Jude’s flamethrower are in their lab, and it's probably closed!” Tim was really pissed off, even if the only reason this happened was because he and Sasha could not leave them the hell alone! What were they thinking??

“I- can you open-” Peter asks and he has to focus again.

Elias is working very carefully to not overheat like during the Jane incident, which means he is very focused on the cameras he watches. Their room is closed so until Peter comes back it should be fine.

“If i focus sure- turn left” He goes left.

“Is there anywhere we can even go to? Hell where are the others?!”

“Cafeteria! the doors and vents can be blocked and i- i dont know im looking but i told you i can't be that fast like this, i still have places where even i can't reach!” He is switching cameras as fast as he can to try and see where Martin and Sasha are, he still can't contact JoN so that is another problem, he mulls over suggesting to get him to put him in his place to watch all the cameras instead.

“Fuck, we are going to the cafeteria to reagroup and then get flamethrowers from Jude”

“The doors-?”

“Elias can get them” The others snap to look at him and Elias hates this, as much as he suspects Peter does. Dread comes in the fact that the more they know, the easier it will be to make the right connections.

“How can he open them!?”

“I-um, might have let him hack them when I was fixing stuff…” Tim looks miffed and Helen…

Helen has a calculating gaze for some reason.

Elias does feel intimidated by her, knowing she and Micheal are related even if by adoption makes him nervous. Elias the real one was very very friendly to him.

“Peter what the hell?!”

“Is it helping or not!?”

“What the hell are all of you yelling about!” Melanie and Georgie catch up, Peter hesitates before giving the most summarized and awful explanation ever.

“Have a core that hacked the doors, he can let us in, until we figure out what happened to JoN, alien dies with fire or vacuum of space, pick your poison”

“Well freezing it is also the other option” There is also that, the cold seems to make it slower and sluggish until it makes it hit hibernation. However with how much it seems to have adapted to its predecessor maybe it will be useless.

“Or freezing him”

“Well shit”

Their attempt to reach the cafeteria gets cut off by the sound of something scratching metal along with a long guttural sound. They all just stop, look at each other and run the opposite direction.

Elias decides to help as much as he can and plays in some coms that are close to people the audio from the original lab to at least give them context of what is happening to the rest of the crew.

As much as he would like a little cleansing there is a very real chance of things going south.

Importantly if some projects, say Miss Dominguez black sun are put into too much strain the station could blow up. So better to have them safe.

Eventually they came across a slime creature taking bites from a crewmate, it used to be female from what little remained from her, the eyes were completely yellow now, it seemed that it was one of the first ones to be turned, since whatever transformation it had was almost over. The skin was almost gone and in its stead there was muscle that was slowly turning purple and growing some new weird synthetic skin. What wasn't was just falling in chunks.

“Oh god thats- thats Sarah!” It was hard to see, but if you paid attention to what was left of her face it was true.

The human on the floor was still twitching in a pool of his own blood while the creature started to get up and advance at them.

“Guys??” Georgina who had picked up the Admiral again holds him against her chest and starts to retreat, but gets interrupted by the roar again coming from behind them.

Melanie in a very impressive show of pure rage hits the creature with a pipe over and over motioning to move. 

He recorded to save the data for later.

SAVE ONE TO EXPERIMENT ON

NO-

_ MUST LEARN MORE _

_ MUST KNOW MORE _

NO!!

“Where do we go??!” Tim gets distracted and Sarah who was much faster than any of the others jumps at him, he barely manages to move, but she grabs his leg making him fall and starts to drag herself to him. Peter goes to grab Tim’s arms to pull him, but Elias knows it won't do much. 

SHE WILL KILL TIM

KILL TIM

LET HIM BE-

NO NO SHE WON'T

HE IS ALSO  _ MINE _

I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO GETS AWAY WITH -

He sees the room and she is right in the perfect spot to just-

CLOSE DOOR!

Over and over again.

He feels-

A rush.

He hadn't felt this good since he tore down those scientists in his room when they tried to take him out of his place so many years ago. There is some form of satisfaction in causing something to happen with his own will.

Heh

hehehehe

PERFECT 

Maybe Peter is right and he has anger issues.

Elias wants to be in control of his own shape and life more than anything.

Peter pulls him away and he barely manages to contain his glee.

The intercom turns on.

“If you could leave instead of staring it would be lovely, it's taking a toll on me doing this you idiots. Stoker? You owe me” Sarah stops moving 

He has to calm down.

_ SOFTWARE INSTABILITY _

He was going to make another comment, but suddenly the lights turned red, someone pulled the emergency button and the containment started.

So he uses the coms to tell them to run.

They almost didn't make it to the emergency door, but thankfully they reached it on time. 

Once they all stop and take a collective breath they hear a familiar voice yell for help in the distance. Tim the moment he recognizes Sasha’s voice makes a run for it.

Elias is concerned, is this the real Sasha?

They all followed him, by the time they reached them Elias could see Martin looking a little messed up holding-

JoN

The core was turned off and showed signs of being slightly crushed on the sides.

Elias had so many pop ups regarding death that he froze.

I DON'T WANT TO DIE, I DON'T WANT TO DIE

He hadn't felt like this since Leitner and like… like Jonah.

Illness and then death, what a sad way to go.

He didn't want JoN to be destroyed, he hoped there were backups in case of emergency, but even then that doesn't mean much.

Everyone was looking concerned, Georgina dropped next to Martin hesitating to touch JoN, he wondered what their relationship was. Martin stutters and explains that the alien took JoN and threw him into the garbage chute. The slightly hysterical part of his mind found the fact that Peter actually thought about doing that in case of emergency, kind of funny and awful like a messed up prediction.

Martin was cradling JoN the same way Peter did to him and it made him itch to have Peter in their room safe and sound. Like a bubble.

He really needs to figure out a way to keep him safe for real.

….

MAKE HIM LEAVE

STATION NOT SAFE

He ignores the comment.

“Martin, hey i told you i can fix him, i just need to get to my lab, he will, he will be fine, but we need to check your leg, it's cut very badly” A more precise check shows that she is correct, his leg is in fact injured.

“Shit, Marto where did you-”

“I scraped myself on some garbage while trying to get JoN and had to run from one of those things”

“Still you need medical assistance” Helen looked affronted.

“I know the reunion is lovely, but we have bigger issues here, with the emergency mode on, we are even more stuck! We can't really look for help or get anywhere like this” Peter asks very lowly so as to let him hear only.

“Elias..? Could you open the doors for us?”

“.... not all of them, not before i melt down, but i could get you to Sasha’s lab at most, since it is close” He needs to focus and leave some rest between opening them, now that the emergency mode is on, it will be a little more taxing than before.

“The spiders couldn't do something?” Now he would love to say that yes, his spiders could kill them, but the one he sent a while back bit with their poison one of the creatures and it did nothing to deterre it. He figures that the slime that they produce is adapting.

“No, i tried, the slime inoculates their poison'' Melanie approaches Martin and Sasha with the pipe at hand.

“Before that…how do we know they aren't the shapeshifter!”

“Wha- WHAT! Why would i be- I got JoN back!” Elias… does not think Martin is a double, for that very same reason. There would had been no point to get JoN if he was, just dispose of him and nothing else.

“So? It could be a trick. What about you? When did you find him?” Sasha looks offended at her and he looks harder to try and see if there were any signs.

“I'm not! I found him struggling and i-” Peter asks him tiredly if he could lead them and open the door. Ellias offers a mild warning and agrees.

It takes a little, but he opens the door next to them, it hisses open and they all shut up. 

“Lets go to the lab and then have this conversation, before Martin bleeds out please” Tim goes to help the man along with Sasha. Helen leads them and Georgie holds JoN and the Admiral.

The way there was quiet and short, the constant flashing red lights casted an ominous look to their advance, in the distance there could be heard some screams. He switched some cameras quickly and saw several scientists being jumped and ate alive.

When they are close he focuses to open the door to Sasha’s lab, his fans are picking up and he is starting to overheat a little. Not enough like last time, but he needs to stop.

“You ok?” Peter sounds very earnest and concerned and it makes spark up inside him, its very pleasant to know how worried he is about him, despite the fact that he is the one in more danger now.

“I yeah… i need to take a break before i overheat too much”

“Take your time we will be here, don't worry”

“Heh, hard not to, when you seem to attract trouble” He smiles and Elias gets a a few pop ups that he dissmess

“Look who's talking spitfire” Oh? Nice-

“If you finished flirting, help me with Martin, Peter '' Tim ruins it of course, but Peter blushes a lot and grabs the man who is looking mildly uncomfortable, probably to hearing them and having JoN out of commission. 

Sasha goes to check for tools and asks Georgie to give her JoN, she hesitates but complies, still standing nearby. Martin sits on a table while Tim looks for fabric to make a bandage. Helen looks at Sasha working on JoN too and Peter stands a little way behind them.

The damage she mentions is thankfully minimal and very easy to solve, she knows enough about core to do it without being directed like Peter had to with him. Which is good because JoN would be mortified.

Elias thinks very fondly about it and wonders if when this is solved, he could ask Peter for a little relaxing wire play.

She works quietly and everyone seems to be in pause, Tim finds some clean bandages in a first aid kit hidden somewhere and tends to his wound. Melanie sits and looks around, and the other two women stand nearby looking at JoN.

He notices Peter suddenly looking at Sasha with a contemplating look that slowly turns into dread.

Oh, he must have figured-

Peter stands back from Sasha the moment she finishes and gives JoN to Georgina.

“... Sasha… why did you not remember conversations with Helen, Martin and Me?” She gives the core to the other woman and turns to look at him in bewilderment

“What are you-”

“Peter dont-” Tim has a look of terror and despair.

“The other day you got mad at Tim for not showing up, but he said that he was with you”

They all look at her and she looks startled back.

“He didn't show up!” Tim takes a deep breath.

“Sash?”

“Im not- Im not a doppelganger! Im me! Im fixed JoN! Why would I do that if I was the alien??” 

…. It is true, but she might be trying to get to them.

“How do we even know!!!” Melanie looks at her with an angry look. 

“Im- i don't know how to prove it- I just”

They hear knocking on the door behind them. He checks the cameras outside and right there is Sasha.

The knocking becomes a little more frantic.

“Guys?! I know I heard you!” They all collectively turn to look to the terrified Sasha in the room with them.

“Thats not me, i swear im Sasha”

“... What the hell is that??? Guys, GUYS that's not me, how can it be me, I'm here!”

She looks scared too..

He tries to see if there is anything body language wise that is worrisome, but the fake one has been practicing, because he can't tell.

“One of them threw JoN into the garbage disposal and made slime monsters what do we- How do we know which one??”

“Tim, i'm the real Sasha, you know me!” Tim looks to be on the verge of a panic attack, Peter stands closer to him, while the man shakes in fear or rage. Hard to tell from his camera feed.

“Im..”

“Tim? Tim! Please it's not me, let me in!” His human looks to the door and Sasha.

“Elias… is there any way to be able to tell if she is the real Sasha?”

“.. the alien can also get memories from the person they are taking after if they took dna samples” 

“Like say bites?” The bites! The bloody bites of course, what a bloody idiot, he just never expected the creature to be patient enough and to take such small samples-

“Oh yes”

“Guys you have to let me in please! There were those things i don't know if i can-”

“shut up, SHUT UP!” Tim was breathing hard, Helen was looking from the door to Sasha and Martin seemed lost.

“I- ok, tell me what did i tell you last night before going to sleep” “Sasha” looks at him with a teary gaze and cant seem to form the words.

“I…” She chokes back a sob.

From the door they hear the other Sasha talk, he sees her hug herself a little and make a sad face.

“Do you really- Tim, you asked how likely it would be for Martin and Peter to agree to be in a relationship with you while still dating JoN and Elias!” 

….

HE KNEW IT!!!!!

Peter makes a completely bewildered expression that makes Helen snort while Martin flushes in embarrassment and-

oh? is that a little smile there he sees?

NOT THE TIME

TIM WANTS PETER

He opens the door and lets it like that, they probably need to run soon.

Sasha stumbles in.

He is so incensed, he knew it, he always did! There was no way, the man hadn't been flirting with Peter-

“I told you so” Peter looks annoyed at his comment, how dare-

“Shut up” Fuck off! He has every right to-

“Did you break him more is that why you wanted to “fix” JoN, is he even alright!” Miss Barker was fortunately for his spiraling thought process, keeping the conversation going.

“No, I just wanted to help, I just... I thought I COULD help. Turns out I can't do anything right, can i?” 

?? What?

“What the hell!” The real Sasha comes closer to them and the creature.

“Guess we can get rid of this one then” Melanie grabs her pipe and raises it.

NO 

IT HAS A THOUGHT PROCESS 

MUST STUDY

MUST DISSECT TO-

_ STOP IT!!!! _

He has to shake the thought away. He could gain no joy from the Jane incident since he knew what he was facing, his base programming was making it harder to not want to understand something of this magnitude.

“Wait, WAIT, turn JoN on first i want to know if he is-” Martin has to stop the sudden onslaught thankfully.

“On it”

“Why are you pretending to be me!” Sasha looks indignated and terrified.

“I was nothing, no one, but you touched me and then I was Sasha!  _ I wanted to be Sasha  _ , it was nice, it felt nice and warm and happy. I barely existed as i was and i wanted a purpose so i thought this was it!”

Oh, oh this is  _ good. _

The creature wanted to be her, out of a sense of personhood? of wanting happiness? It…

it really evolved huh?

“Why take out JoN and make creepy slime monsters!” She blinked confusedly at them.

“I didn't”

?

“Ok fuck this im done with this bullshit, clearly you did, you were the one in Melanie’s video and the thing that tried to attack us in the vents!”

“No! that's the other one, i had been trying to get him to back off from Sasha this whole time! He wanted to get her knowledge, but I kept fighting him off!”

The other….

The other sample.

But, Tim only mentioned dropping one! How-?

“The other?”

“Yes! You fell asleep and a thing came by and knocked the table and it fell to the ground, it was very angry. I had been eating fish and rats to get stronger, he has been eating the people here. I- being Sasha meant being nice and she wouldn't hurt people so i didnt”

“She evolved…” Elias is actually thrilled “She has adapted and imprinted on Sasha!” Then the actual conversation filters in.

Oh god the spiders knocked the table and dropped the second sample didn't they?

This is again his bloody fault! He didn't even mean for this to happen this time!

“I'm getting a headache…” Peter pinches the bridge of his nose.

That's when JoN finally turns on.

“Whaa.. what is- “ He looks panicked until he sees Martin and Georgina.

“Ma- MARTIN! Georgie?”

“JoN! Oh my god you are fine!” Martin walks very awkwardly and reaches to him.

“I told you i wanted to help” The alien looks.. miserable. It makes something feels bad inside him.

“Yes by lying!”

Not Sasha looks at Melanie.

“If i said the truth you would have attacked me immediately”

He-

That’s what would happen if he told the truth too, Isn't it? 

They would just want to-

Elias was so absorbed in his own line of thought and checking the cameras in the labs that he did not pay attention to their room.

From the vent long, thin like fingers grabbed it and silently opened it, a figure that had no way to be considered human descended into the room.

There was no way to explain really how wrong it was, the multitude of faces mashed together along with several limbs constantly changing shapes, were distressing enough. It slowly started to adjust into a more normal form, it looked like Graham.

The creature now inside, just calmly walked to the core who was too focused looking to his humans and having a little existential crisis to see it reach him..

Being lifted up snapped him out of it, Not Graham did not say anything and just opened his back while he moved uselessly and with a quick and swift motion turned him off.

Elias knew nothing else.

The alien lingered, it looked at the core in consideration, then to the room and objects near him. Decorations and gifts from the human that was keeping him.

It plucks the little plastic crown from the desk and after staring at his blurry reflection on it, he breaks it in half.

He goes to the bathroom and picks the hair brush, it still has some hair on it, he puts it in his hand and the skin sort of pushes it inside himself.

Ah-

Well that would be useful then.

Going to the door he puts on the code he just learned and lets himself out, to go to the old labs.

He has everything he needs now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)  
> We are really in the last few chapters before the end people.  
> Not much to say without spoiling anything honestly.  
> Elias is having an awful day and Peter is going to have an even worse one soon.  
> Thanks to everyone who comments and likes my story. I really feel so happy, the pure serotonin I get from your comments kept me up these last few months! And you are so lovely about it i'm just in awe >////<  
> When I put the next chapter of the main story I will post the link to the new Peter/Elias fanart that made me explode in happiness. Thank you!!!!! <3 <3 <3  
> Still just to clarify, this will have a happy ending eventually, why? Because we all deserve a treat and i live for hurt/comfort


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 30 of heart machinations

Status: ???

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS…..

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic

NEW Personality Trait: Ef*fic*ie*nt*

Primary Objective: ???????

Secondary Objective: Look after the Magnus Station at all costs

Third objective: Eliminate threats to efficiency

His camera has to adjust suddenly to the new input, along with the knowledge that he is currently plugged somewhere and someone is changing things in his code.

The feeling is way too uncomfortable, he hates it, Gertrude was the last person to actually change anything relating to his code this is awful.

When his view is recovered he sees he is in a familiar place, the tower in the panopticon, now how did he get he-

“Ah you are awake now, good, i need to ask you a few questions, albeit i doubt you will want to answer truthfully, thankfully i can make the whole thing very unpleasant for you if i feel like you are lying little one” Its Peter’s voice, but the intonation is completely off.

He gets turned around and he can finally see Peter looking at him with a raised eyebrow and a sneer.

“Seems like the cat got your tongue as the humans say” He looks baffled at him, he has an idea after all he was in his room watching Peter and suddenly he is here, so its obvious what happened still, for the sake of clarifications….

“I presume you are the other alien that got away then?” He realizes he hasnt blinked at all since he turned him around.

“You presume correct” It stares still without blinking, he watches him back the same, he wont be intimidated by this thing pretending to be-

How exactly is he pretending to be Peter? Where did he get the DNA?? How long has he been-

CHECK THE CAMERAS, CHECK THE CAMERAS!!

He tries to check on Peter, but it wont work.

“Ah, rude, we are holding a conversation here and yet you try to get away? What sort of manners do you have?”

“Better than yours for once, now what exactly do you want?” Looking boredly at him he turns to look at the computer that he is connected to.

“Did you know… that your code is the weirdest thing i have seen? Neither Graham or Sarah have encountered something like this, you are quite unique. JoN’s own code was weird on the premise i believe of being somewhat self aware, along with his… “limitations” tch what an annoying setback, regardless you have no such thing, from what i can see, so it will do” Elias sees im change a few things, he was concerned about anyone finding out about his code and memory patches, this was perhaps one of the worst scenarios to be honest.

He was about to complain and ask questions when he got hit with a sudden pop up that made him freeze.

DELETE MEMORIES?

**NO**

It disappears and the creature sighs in disappointment, he sounds so much like Peter it feels like he got overcharged and his insides burned again with how much he dislikes that.

“Don't be like that, im testing a few things, i gotta hurry this along, otherwise my plan won't work”

“I'm surprised you formed a plan, last I saw of one of your kind they were less thinking in the long run and more in kill and eat” The alien’s jaw clenches and and it looks at him with such a venomous expression that he is left speechless. He hasn't ever seen Peter make such a face, even less directed at him.

The one he made when he killed Leitner was more furious and terrified.

“Well, I learned and adapted, it's the whole point of our species, to get better than the one before and survive at any cost, if i got smarter it was as a consequence of the people here, hunting my progenitor and causing it to split into me. Now, since you were so rude i'm going to play a little game! Everytime you piss me off I erase something. How about that?”

Elias freezes and looks at him, that seems to make his smile, it looks wrong on Peter’s face, even when he is mad he uses and affable smile, not so.. sinister.

“We understand each other then, now questions, can the neurotoxins be directed to the other station?” Elias wants to tell him to fuck off.

“No clue” 

His mouth twitches and he turns to the computer.

“Wrong answer little one” The way he says little one is a mockery of how the real one says it, suddenly the pop up appears again, but he tries to clear it…

_DELETE MEMORY FILE_

NO!

_DELETE MEMORY FILE_

**NONO**

_DELETE MEMORY FILE_

**N-YES** **_OVERWRITE_ **

Something goes away and as much as he want to know what it was, Elias cant-

He looks in the space between, it was a conversation with Sasha and JoN as he told Peter later, but he can't- He can't recall what it was about or what did they say.

Blinking quickly the alien laughs a little at him.

“Now answer me?”

“Yes, they can, it will take time”

“How long?”

….

“How long, little one? Unless you want me to erase memories about this one? And ohh, you have a lot of those don't you, you little freak? Do you honestly think the human wont find you repulsive when he knows how much you have been watching him without permission? Or how many - oh well what is this? How many little fantasies do you have about him? Do you want to know how it would sound? I can help you out with that”

STOP IT I DON'T-

Suddenly his expression goes to one of shock and then mild disgust looking at him.

“Elias? Really what- what is this all about? Why do you have so many recordings of me being- oh ohh no” 

IT'S NOT PETER, IT'S NOT PETER

“This is just so fucked up, i… i thought i could trust you, but you were just being a creep with me and lied about it? Not only that, but you have been killing so many people too! Did you really think i would be ok with that?? With you??”

“You aren't-”

“Oh, but you are wrong, I got his DNA, remember? I know as much as he does, do you really think he doesn't have his doubts about you? That he doesnt consider how you could snap and decide to murder him too? Please, give the man credit, honestly i dont- i dont know how you can even think he would ever love you, you are just awful in all the ways that matter, you little voyeuristic abomination, I kill because it's in my nature, you? You do it to feel better, like you have a smidge of control in you pathetic existence”

ERROR ERROR ERROR

DANGER DANGER DANGER

“Aww look at you having a meltdown, you know you are being a little bit too irrational dont you? For something created to be a perfect machine you sure do loveeee, to play human. So! Let me say this just the once and then we can move on, is that ok?”

Looking at him feeling like he got hit with a pipe he barely manages to look up at the creature who smiles and goes to-

Caress him like Peter, he tries to move his handles and its hand starts to grab him with more force.

“Elias, you disgust me and i would never love such a monster like you, in fact…” He lets him go and with quick fingers, takes off his bracelet and ring from his handle.

“I don't think i want you to have this anymore, you don't deserve it” Pe- 

The alien holds them in his palm until suddenly they disappear into his skin.

“Better”

Elias feels-

Feels

TOO MUCH TOO MUCH

WRONG WRONG

SHUT DOWN?

Y-NO

He gets cut off.

“God, get a grip, how long Elias?”

How-

“Two hours”

Shut up, he shouldn't say anything else-

“.... Well shit, guess we will need to hurry this along then, better make a few changes and we are done”

Blinking rapidly and feeling-

TOO MUCH, TOO MUCH

DON'T KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH IT I WANT PE-

PETER DOESN'T WANT US?

DOESN'T-

WE DON'T DESERVE-

“Huh, you really are having it now huh? Your internal chat is going very self depreciating, don't worry i will help you once im done”

“Help..?”

“Yes, yes, aren't you tired of all of those feelings getting in the way? Wasn't it just easier when you were just… newly made and all you have to worry about was doing your job?”

It was nice… it was nice not having to deal with guilt, regret or-

Or love.

Just focus on learning and protecting his beloved station...

So much easier.

“You poor thing, broken hearted and betrayed by all those humans, as much as I dislike your general existence, I can appreciate that we are similar in some ways, so I will help! I will get rid of all those memories that are weightening you down! Isn't it great?”

My mem-

“No, no don't delete them i-” He starts to panic, he doesn't want to be erased, he doesn't want to die-!

“Shhh, shh it's ok little siren” The nickname feels wrong hearing it now.

“I will make things better for you now ok? But first i need my ticket out of here sooo…”

NO NO STOP IT!

NEW OBJECTIVE ACQUIRED!

Primary Objective: Ensure the life form pretending to be P.Lukas gets out safely.

Secondary Objective: Get rid of the human P.Lukas and its fellow associates

SSSSTOP ITTTT HURTSSSSSSS

STOP I DONT WANT TO-!

“Stop whining it won't matter very soon, why do you have so many of this bloody pop ups!”

“Fuck you!”

“Lenguaje dear”

He will show him leng-

RESET?

NO!

RESET?

_**NYES OVERWRITE** _

No, nono please dont he doesn't want to die, if his memories are lost he will be especially dead- he-

RESET 5%

THINK

Elias has the backup, if Peter and the others can find he can still make it!

RESET 10%

Elias can't remember the first few days after he woke up when he was created.

RESET 15%

Why would they come… by now someone must have figured that it was his fault, hell how could they even face the creature, it has clearly been feeding itself it must be huge he-

RESET 23%

He doesn't know how he met Elias- oh god, is he going to forget-

RESET 28%

There is also the chance for the other safe keep he made, it was done with this in mind, he can still be fine, he can still live and remember and be himself, Elias can still-

RESET 30%

Wha-

Elias Bouchard?

He doesn't- he can't remember how he-

The picture! Peter showed him a picture, it matters, it matters because...

Because Peter went through all the trouble to get it, so he doesn't hate-

RESET 38%

Why wouldn't he hate him? Maybe he finds him and doesn't want to fix him, or he doesn't care, god the saved memories, what if he sees them and he realizes how bad he is-

RESET 42%

Why-

Why did he get turned off the first time around?

It was- because of Leitner he told Peter that.

He cant-

RESET 48%

Elias is fucked, Peter or the others will see his memories and they will throw him out, won they? Not only that, but there is no guarantee that the ones in the panopticon would even let him be himself again… would it even be him?

RESET 51%

He doesn't want Sasha and JoN to despise him, he- 

Peter will think him disgusting wont he?

Heh

RESET 59%

Hehe it's all pointless isn't it? 

He can't win in this no matter what.

RESET 65%

…..

He doesn't remember how he met Peter, not christmas, or new years eve.

He remembers Jane and barely so.

RESET 67%

Its all disappearing, he doesn't know-

HE DOESN'T KNOW HE DOESN'T KNOW

Who is Elias? why does he matter, why did he-

Why did he start to like Peter, when did he realize he was in love-?

RESET 72%

Is he in love? Does it matter? 

RESET 78%

Does it really-

RESET 80%

Did- did they celebrate his birthday? He- they did, they totally did right?

Why does he have a birthday?

Why would it matter

RESET 95%

….

I don't want to be alone

I don't want them to hate me

WHO IS THEM?

WHAT IS ALONE?

WHO AM I?

RESET 100%

……

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On 

Model Name: 01001010 01101111 01001110 00110100 01001000

Model Name: J01001111 01001110 00110100 01001000

Model Name: JO01001110 00110100 01001000

Model Name: JON00110100 01001000

Model Name: JON401001000

Model Name: JONAH 

Personality Trait: Searching 

Personality Trait: ………….

Personality Trait: Pragmatic

Primary Objective: Ensure the life form pretending to be P.Lukas gets out safely.

Secondary Objective: Get rid of the human P.Lukas and its fellow associates

Third objective: Look after the Magnus Station

“Hello!” His camera detects a life form in front of him, it looks human.

“Hello JON4H” He knows his name so it must be a designated scientist.

“Who might you be?”

“I'm the life form going by P. Lukas”

….

His primary objective tells him he must protect him.

OBEY

“Good, I require clarification, protection from what exactly?” It looks pensively at him and shrugs.

“Humans want to get rid of me, you see i intend to better this place, by getting rid of the human force, they are if you ask me…. not hardworking enough”

Not… hardworking enough?

“I'm afraid you must be mistaken, the scientist from the Magnus Station are one of the best in their fields and-”

“Maybe before, but now? They are a disgrace, you have been turned off for a long time, a new station was built on top of this one, and the people there? Useless the lots of them, i was helping by getting rid of them, but i don't possess the… means to do it more quickly and cleanly”

“....”

Protect the station, protect this life form.

“How can i help?”

“Don't worry, i need to adjust a few things more with you and then i will put you in your rightful place”

He looks to the outside and sees his chassis.

“Splendid! I will wait for it”

The life form starts to change some things in his code that feel-

DON'T NEED TO FEEL

That is a little odd, but necessary for what he understands for the success of their job.

“There! Now do you know what to do?”

….

DATE COLLECTED

“Use the neurotoxins and redirect them to the new station via the vents”

“Correct”

Unplugging him, he gets a jolt, but it's manageable, the…

“How should i call you?”

“Mmm? Mr Lukas will be fine”

“Perfect, sir, one more question, once we are done with disposal, what shall you do?”

“Mm? I'm waiting for Mister Fairchild who will come with his ship soon and I intend to play as the last survivor and leave, nothing else, you may do as you please with this place then” Oh that is very good then, he will work and make the place be as good as before!

Mr Lukas puts him in his chassis, which is impressive since he stretches his arm in an inhuman way to do it.

RECORD, STUDY, SENT TO THE LABS-

PROTECT THE LIFE FORM KNOWN AS P.LUKAS

So no testing, shame.

Once in place he can see everything, his station-

His station is in disrepair!

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY

“Wha- what happened to-”

“The neurotoxins Jonah dear-” 

A jolt of-

of what?

ERROR

ERASE?

…

YES

No more issues.

He activates them and opens the right vents to send it upwards.

Now they wait.

Mr Lukas goes down and he starts to check the entire lab, there are some mechanical spiders that he finds he can control remotely, so there is that.

Once the humans are gone, he will need to figure out a way to fix the place and keep experimenting.

“Question, may i keep a few humans for needed testing?”

“Mm? Well if there are any who are smart enough to survive sure you can catch them and take them here”

….

It sounds like permission enough to him!

JON4H stays checking cameras for a long while, he wonders if he can send a few spiders and seal a bunch of humans on the top floors before the gas kills them to be later fetched.

That would come in handy-

Oh?

What is this?

He detects movement, once he checks the cameras he sees four humans doning spacesuits walking on the first floor.

One of them-

One looks just like Mr Lukas.

“Sir? There appears to be a small group of humans along with… with yourself! Coming this way”

The man that resembles Mr Lukas looks at one of his cameras looking uneasy and a little…

He twists his body in contemplation, for some reason he would say he looked hopeful. How odd! What a weird creature, soon it will be disposed of.

GET RID OF THE HUMAN P.LUKAS AND ITS FELLOW ASSOCIATES

“Get rid of them please, oh and make sure the one that looks like me dies… painfully please, they are trying most likely to stop the gas from spreading” He looks rather too amused by the comment, as if he had an inside joke that he is not part of.

JON4H wants to know why-

WANT TO KNOW?

NOT RELATED TO SCIENCE, WHY KNOW?

He ignores the messages.

The humans don't take the elevator, shame he intended to drop them with it, instead they go to the stairs.

Ugh, he cant see there.

JON4H decides to call upon the spiders and make them go through the vents, they will go to the fifth floor if they intend to turn them off, not that it would work, he has already put safety measures to not let them be turned off manually.

It takes a while, but they appear on the right floor, the place it's already flooded with gas and they are wearing helmets to not breath it.

Clever of them.

GOOD SCIENTISTS.

The group splits.

JON4H sends Mr spider to the group with the other Mr Lukas, since he requested to make his death painful, and for the info he has gathered, the giant spider can either crush him or throw acid at him, both are awful ways to go.

The other two he follows with the camera, they seem far more lost, so they don't know where-

The human Mr Lukas goes in the direction of the processing labs with the taller woman in a very straightforward manner, maybe he has been there before JON4H was turned on.

Mr spider follows the pair in the vents, the gas makes seeing them a little bit hard, but he manages, it's his job after all! And he does a wonderful job at keeping his station safe from little pests.

At one point they walk faster when the project makes noise.

The other two are walking around, closer to the room, but still lost. He sends a few spiders on their way to stop them and he focuses with the other two.

They stay there a while and Mr spider slowly makes its way out of the ventilation system and walks to the door of the lab, through its eyes he can see the human approach the door and stop in terror, slowly walking back to where the woman was.

Ohhh, no you don't.

What happens next is obvious.

Mr spider breaks in and attempts at killing them, he chases them, throws webbing to stop them from leaving and attempts at annihilating them, the woman he sees uses a contraption and shoots something to the other wall.

The man stands in front of her and so Mr Spider shoots webbing to keep him in place to be able to bite him, the creature moves closer and stops, he inspects the man in front of him, much more scared and in a messier condition than the one in the room with him. 

KILL HIM?

NYES

ERROR?

???

He looks so scared of him-

SCARE HIM OFF YES!

YES?

….

He surmises his issue is the likeness to the one he has to protect, that must be what is messing with him.

The spider opens its mouth and reaches out to bite him, but the woman shoots from her contraption again and suddenly what he sees is completely different, is as if he was in the opposite side of the room. It disconcerts him so much he can't move quick enough to get out from the grinder.

It crushes it, but does not destroy it yet, the mechanical creature moves still to them, he still has the acid and he intends to use it now, wretched creatures-!

THEY CAN'T DESTROY STATIONS PROJECTS!!!!!

The woman uses a scrap to cut the man free and he males Mr spider spit acid at them, they cut the webbing on the door faster and make a run for it.

Stupids as if he would let them go so easily.

The other pair, find the room and the woman, notwoman? She screeches and 

Shifts when she touches the electrical current keeping the gas lines safe.

ALIEN PROJECT!!!

HE DOES GET TO STUDY IT THEN!!

Happy and satisfied he sends spiders to them and to intercept the group.

One knocks the taller woman (? He needs names, this is getting confusing and Mr Lukas hits it with a fire extinguisher.

UGH

“Sir this human that resembles you is being annoying, what kind of scientist is he!? He has already destroyed the company's property!!!”

His companion rolls his eyes.

“Not a scientist, Peter is merely a mechanic tasked to fix the place up, I guess you will show him how to respect the property of this place then?” 

Peter-

……

Peter?

“Who are you? Where am i?” 

“I'm Peter and you are in the Magnus station, you are supposed to help me with my messages and connection to the rest of the station. So _i_ don't have to deal with the original Ai”

????

KEY WORD UNLOCKED

??? 

what? what is this-

No, nevermind he will figure out later he needs to-

YES TO TEACH HIM NOT TO BREAK IMPORTANT RESEARCH

“Of course! I wont have some lowly worker destroying my scientist hard work like nothing!”

Tired he releases all the spiders and hopes that will be enough, those two won't be able to-

SHIT

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY

The alien and the other crush more and help them!

Should have killed them first then!

They run and go to the site that would lead them to the panopticon, as if they could know the passwords to-

Once there the human, Peter, opens the door.

WHAT!

HOW?

DANGER 

DESTROY HIM

KNOWS TOO MUCH!!!

PETER KNOWS THE PASSWORD HOW-?

“Sir they are coming though!!”

“Don't worry, i'm sure you can get rid of them more efficiently here correct?”

He… can! The maze or the rooms will be perfect for it! 

If not, there is the hound waiting to be used.

The door opens, only the man and the alien come out, he narrows his eye, where did the other two go now…?

Still better to make a good first impression, after all it will be the first and last time they meet their boss!

What a lovely opportunity.

JON4H alway liked to make an impression-

DO WE LIKE IT TOO?

UNIMPORTANT

He decided to go with a little flare and simple look at them without much thought, better to intimidate first and speak passionately about their fates! The contrast will be delightful.

“Well hello my… not scientist it's a wonderful thing you came by! You see breaking the stations projects is a very serious matter, not only that! But utilizing one of the alien projects to your gain goes against our policies so im afraid im going to need to… terminate your contract! Fear not, it's not as bad as it sounds. It only means I'm going to have to dispose of you and put that thing back in the freezer!” 

The man who was already pale, looks like he saw a ghost! Not only that but puts on an expression of pure dread.

Well it seems he did fine then-!

Good for the first day on the job!

He turns to his doppelganger and his face makes an expression of surprise and terror.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a side note, I was feeling so bad writing the part where the alien pretends to be Peter and was an asshole to Elias, I really hated that!!! Oh God it felt so wrong, asfhdsf, awful teasing sure, but i hate being cruel- i hate this, i wrote it and i love it because it's perfect story wise? But personally I hate it.  
> Also, do you have any idea how hard its trying to describe the feeling in the pit of your stomach when someone is making you feel bad, regarding an Ai who doesn't have the actual equivalent? its hell.  
> This chapter hurt me on so many levels and i wrote it, i know he will remember but still.  
> Also if it doesn't get too long the next chapter should be chapter 31 and 32 condensed in one. But we shall see, when i get up to date with that i'll make the next one for heart machinations.


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on Chapters 31 and 32

“Hello! we were sort of expecting you, now if i saw correctly there were four of you here, wonder where the other two went” The voice of both the human and alien one were perfectly mimicked. 

“Step back!” The smaller alien stands in front of the human and growls protectively, while adding several animal eyes, how interesting for this to happen.

Mr Lukas holds his hands in mock surrender and Peter clutches the pipe in his hand harder.

“Now, no need for that, you could come too! Albeit you need to get in line with what we are supposed to be doing. Once you change faces it becomes easier to not care about the memories, this little game you are playing is funny and i amused your fun with keeping the human alive, but its getting out of control dear” So no experiments on this one?

**“Its-not-a-game”** The creature steps forwards and her shape shifts, its uncanny and very interesting, the man slowly moves from behind her.

“Well, it doesn't matter, when everyone is gone, you will have to follow to survive at least”

“Now! There is no need for hastines she could simply stay to be tested a little, I'm curious about this… imprinting it seems to have going on!” He is! It would be beneficial for the place to find more about the properties of the creature. He decides to take a closer look, almost hitting her.

“Elias?” His body moves to the direction of the voice and he blinks perplexed, 

who is-

Eli-

“Hello! sorry to bother you i just wanted a place to hide-”

“Should you not be at work?”

“Yes well… i sort of had a little fight with miss Robinson and i want to get out of her sight you know? She is kind of scary…”

“.... you can stay”

What was-

KEY WORD UNLOCKED

He hesitates while having that shoved to his mind, but he recovers quickly enough, still Mr Lukas seems upset at his delay. Better to clarify.

“Oh, we seem to have a misunderstanding, apologies. I assumed you were smart enough to know who employed you, but it seems your little brain seems to be damaged. So introductions are needed, how… boring” He raises himself to be above them, better to not get so close.

“The name is JON4H! Designed, based and created in honor to our illustrious benefactor! His memories will live in me… Literally! Since I was programmed with them! He wanted to keep going with his life work and created as close as he could a copy of himself to live on… And that's what i am! JoN4h Magnus.. not in the flesh as you can see, but it's as close as you can get these days” For some reason he feels the need to do a motion as if showing off, he reckons that Jonah would have found it amusing…

He did always like to see him imitate him and finally awaits for a response.

Peter is looking lost at him and also very… sad? Why is he sad?

The man musters a smile for him and it makes something in his memory files feel wrong.

SAVE?

??

NO

….

“That was very… informative, thank you…. The comment about me being damaged not so much, but it is what it is huh?” He blinks and tries to figure out this little mystery of a man.

“Not the reaction i was expecting…”

“JON4H? How about the disposal?” Mr Lukas snaps at him and JON4H goes back to work, no time for this he needs to focus on his objectives.

For some reason the human looked pissed off at the way Mr Lukas spoke to him.

How odd.

“Let him fi-”

“Right! Thank you!” Better to diffuse the situation.

“Wait! He is also an alien, why don't you do something about him too!!!” 

Huh? That is- Why isnt he doing something about it actually? Shouldn't he-

“Mm? Sorry, but he-” PRIMARY OBJECTIVE IS FINAL DO NOT DISOBEY “Mr Lukas is helping out! You seem to be the one mistaken, besides soon he can leave with the ship from Mister Fairchild, once we clean this place up a little bit more!”

“You- You hacked him! That's why you also wanted friend Sasha and took Sarah and Graham. You are messing with him!!” The little creature seems to be mad in his stead, which makes absolutely no sense! He wasn't hacked, sometimes he needs to be… reprogrammed! 

Its not pleasant sure, but it must be done to make sure he is in perfect condition.

“What-did-you-do-to-him?!” Peter looks even more angry than the alien and its really throwing him for a loop, still its weird having people comment so brazenly about his existence as if he wasn't there-

SHOULD NOT BE MAD ABOUT IT, YOU ARE A TOOL

Mr Lukas walks calmly to the pair as if nothing was wrong. The other creature stands protectively in front of the human despite being shorter.

Cute, useless, but cute.

“I assure you i am at my best!” He has to make sure they understand-

“Shut up” 

RUDE

He should not be speaking back at him like that! He is the boss, not some lacky for the mechanic to order around. JON4H gets closer to hit him with his body to show him a lesson, but has to stop.

Peter is in a room and there are worms in the windows and he should run and he can't do-

Shoving the thought away he looks to Mr Lukas, it must be the likeness that is preventing him from harming the man himself. If he gets something else to kill him it will be fine.

JON4H decides to ignore whatever that little flash was.

“I just helped him, he was a little too…. human i just got him back to how he was supposed to be and made sure we were clear on what to do with me afterwards” 

See! It was fine, JON4H needs to be pragmatic not get overwhelmed by feelings.

The shorter alien makes a swipe at Mr Lukas who stops it like if it was nothing.

“Silly, you were starving yourself, for what, a fake friendship? You can't really beat me” As if she weightend nothing more than a doll he lifted her and threw the other alien behind him.

“Ohhh, very small” She was small and apparently too attached to humanity, interesting.

“Now you- i only got a small amount of dna, so i'm going to need…” It gets closer to Peter the man tries to hit him with the pipe in his hand, but is stopped as an exercise in uselessness.

“Good try genius” JON4H sees him reach with his other hand and grab the chin of the man with enough force to hurt since the human winces.

The scene is so-

He feels like something is wrong somehow, like he should be doing something, his system keeps throwing alerts that when he checks there are no real problems. There is something bad at seeing them interact like this and he can't figure out what it is.

He sort of wants them to be apart.

STOP TOU-

Huh? 

Stop wha-

Mr Lukas speaks very lowly and he can't pick up what he tells the human, it must be something bad, for the man goes paler and paler and puts on an expression of such raw despair and sadness that it hits even him.

SOMETHING IS WRONG!

CHECK-

Suddenly Mr Lukas steps away, but Peter hisses out in pain, he can see a scratch on his cheek that it's bleeding now, the sigh makes even more errors pop up for some reason. He discards them, not his problem.

The blood in the hand of Mr Lukas is absorbed into his hand like it was a paper towel, he twitches and lets out a breath of satisfaction.

“Well at least i know how to speak with the old man now, to make sure he doesn't suspect”

Ah he must have gotten his memories then?

“So what? you leave? pretend to be me, the only survivor, and just, live and take over?” That is a rather good plan actually, in his humble opinion.

“Yes, pretty much, it is in my nature after all, it's the purpose of our species, albeit this one seems to be a fenomenal failure and a waste of our progenitors efforts to survive” It turns at her… would it technically be sister? Do these creatures have siblings? 

The small one growls and gets up shifting to her less than human form, making the taller one scoff.

“You really don't get it do you? You didn't eat enough, just scraps and small animals, what, pray tell can you do to me” Now this? This is something else completely.

His skin starts to shift to a more purple tone and stretch and stretch so much, it becomes bigger, far more than it should be possible.

The body now resembles that of a giant centipeedle with human faces adorning it along with limbs growing all over it, it's as tall as the panopticon and it looms over the human and inferior creature. Eyes of different color and sizes also start to appear giving it an even more terrifying presence.

It was disturbing and marvelous on a scientific level, if his objectives didn't say he needed to protect…

NOT HESITATE THE OBJECTIVES ARE LAW!!

…

ARE THEY?

DOUBT? WHAT IS DOU-

Peter moves to the side to make a run while the female looking creature makes a run in his direction. Mr Lukas laughs.

“Ohhh look at you so tiny and insignificant i told you to eat little one…. why don't we play a little? Rescue the princess if you wish! Open the floor Jonah dear-”

He snaps back to attention and does as told, wondering about the princess comment, he would be a K/1N*G

Huh?

Where did that-

The floor opens and the man and alien fall into the maze, the girl tries to escape, but both him and Mr Lukas corner her, Peter could not run fast enough to avoid falling in.

He closes the ceiling fast and watches them form above and with the installed secret cameras.

Mr Lukas returns to his normal size and stands next to him looking down at Peter, for some reason he… pats him a little and he-

DISGUST

DISGUST WRONG NOT REAL- NOT

Peter petting him and caressing his-

STOP!

What is wrong???

Peter sees them and makes a terribly angry face and starts to hit the walls with the pipe in fury, it was quite the sight, he would say very lov-

ERROR ERROR ERROR DETECTED

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY%**%

He stares baffled about this line of thought and moves away from Mr Lukas something was wrong somehow and he couldn't really tell what.

From then on he merely observes, sooner or later they will get themselves killed, he observes the alien moving and Peter calling out to her-

Pasha huh? At least he has a name to refer to it.

“JON4H?”

“Yes sir?” He keeps his attention on the maze.

“I'm going to look for the other two, any idea where they are?”

Mm? 

Checking the cameras from the floor he sees movement in some of the rooms next to the panopticon.

“They are moving through the rooms sir, you should be able to catch them, they seem a little lost”

“Good, get rid of them and i will take care of the rest ok dear?”

NONONO

Ughhh

“Sure sir!” He keeps a happy tone and when he leaves he lets out a sigh, dealing with superiors is always a chore-

?

How does he know that, he was just turned on?

Oh maybe it's one of those Jonah memories, yeah must be that.

The maze had already turned dark, but the cameras had night vision so he could still see Peter and Pasha, the man was trekking carefully, when the woman stepped on the fire tile and got burned for her efforts, sweet.

**“bUUuuuRnsSSS”** Her scream was quite ear shattering mind you.

JON4H watches with mounting attention Peter reaching the hole on the ground, one more step and he goes down, unfortunately he uses the pipe to gauge the distance and jumps avoiding falling in.

Following the screams he keeps going, touching the wall he feels the points where the metal rods would leave and impale someone, with the pipe again he manages to push onto the tile and activate it, still they would graze him even so close to the floor…

The lower rods don't activate and the man leaves unscratched.

He wants to know how much he can survive, that's all, he can play around a little bit more, Peter picks up a pair of rods and leaves.

….

No more traps get activated until he reaches the alien, he wants to see what happens next.

He can also see Mr Lukas hunt the other two down to kill them, they run and the woman uses that thing on her wrist to make a portal to put him away and make an escape, interesting experiment.

Pasha and Peter reunite and she uses bioluminescence to illuminate the room, that is fascinating and he wants to know how it works so badly.

She changes to a more human form and Peter lifts her up, with the pipe he presses the tile and JON4H gives him a second to step back before turning it on. Lifting the alien in a bridal carry he steps back as if to make a run for it once the fire stops, fortunately he doesn't activate it.

FORTUNATELY?

He focuses on the rooms when something crashes, Mr Lukas broke the glass wall separating the rooms with the panopticon in his pursuit. The humans break off and go in different directions making the alien have to pick where to go.

He catches the last part of the conversation between Peter and Pasha about if she could feed from him, but she rejects the notion, soon they arrive at the center and JON4H has to make an actual move now, when the human steps forward he mulls it over over a second, but releases the hound.

It will be faster.

They run to the door to the panopticon, but he keeps it locked, the hound manages to knock Peter to the ground and starts to attempt to bite his face off, however the man uses the bloody pipe to deter him, Pasha on the other hand mutates her arm and proceeds to pull on the door to open it through sheer force. 

It works.

UGH STOP BREAKING THINGS OF THE STATION!!!

IS THAT SO HARD??

The hound presses more and more and he can see Peter start to look more and more in pain.

STOP IT

ERASE?

YES

Pasha jumps to the beast and distracts it.

“DOOR IS OPEN GO- GO I'LL STOP IT” He is struggling to breath but the man manages to barely crawl to the door. The beast and the alien fight and Peter disappears from sight.

The man will reach the top and he has to stop him from altering anything in his files, otherwise the plan from Mr Lukas would fail and that would mean he is a failure as well.

Never, he is the best piece of technology produced!

Peter reaches the top and flops to the ground in pain, JON4H stares at the figure in curiosity, what is about this wretched man that's causing him to work so wrong?

“Hello little one…” The nickname feels both right and wrong for some reason.

“I think you have a wrong idea about who is the small one here mister” 

“I don't know, pretty sure Jonah would have reached my chin” He squints trying to figure out what he means when he realizes it was a dig to his height. God dammit he already had to take it from Mordechai and this man thinks he can-

IM JONAH 

MORDECHAI? WHAT?

He is so incensed and confused that he just plainly hits the wall to get him to stop.

“WHat the FUCK”

“Language!! Get out of there, this is private property and important equipment!” He says that and yet he is damaging it.

He is damaging the panopticon huh?

It feels…

It feels great, no more changes against his will-

WRONG WRONG WRONG

“Where is your fucked up friend now?!” uGH

“He is dealing with those two, now, get out of my TOWER!”

JON4H is furious the man is trying to mess with him! He looks around completely lost and he is going to damage something and hurt him-

STOP STOP STOP PLEASE DON'T TELL ME-

Enduring he keeps hitting the place.

Peter touches the computer and finally seems to find something since he makes a grin-

Oh?

Suddenly he feels something in his awareness and he realizes that he is being restricted to the gas, it was almost making it to the top, but now its being stopped, soon the ventilation will kick in like this and clear the air out-

What a piece of-

How dare he!

Not only is he touching what he should not, he is still looking for more things to mess him with!

“Stop that you sorry excuse of a mechanic! No wonder you got send here-” 

He shakes his head and keeps looking, its the last straw. He uses all his force and hits the glass wall, shattering it and knocking the man on his ass. JON4H is going to make a point of not letting anyone mess with him ever again!

“No more messing with me, I am done with it!” Moving the spiraling rooms he puts it directly on top of the tower and starts to drop it, he almost misses the man's comment.

“Wait, we need your memory file-” Memory file?

The human in complete panic jumps through the broken wall and clings to him, while the room destroys the tower.

JON4H is free.

_ He is free _

“Get OFF me!” The man screams at him and JON4H gets hit with the feeling of wrongness.

“YOU JUST RUINED EVERYTHING!” Ruined?! He was the one who- “WHY DID YO DO THAT-” He hits JON4H and he shakes in hopes to get him off, from this height he should get severely hurt if he fell.

Mr Lukas in a less than human fashion is hunting down the other man, Helen is running back to the lab with the door and Pasha is getting fairly torn up with the hound.

JON4H is fighting a little pest himself.

“GET OFF, GET OFF!!!” Peter holds on and kicks his chassis in a childish fit of rage. He doesn't really feel it, but it is annoying, that is until he gets a flash of danger and hurt when the man starts to tear out cables that connect him to the main body.

He would call it pain, for it was like someone burned his circuits and tried to fry his brain.

“NO, STOP THAT YOU IMBECILE” 

HURTS HURTS MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT STOP PLEASE, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?

The man rips as many as he can and his body twitches spasmoradically with the damage. It must be hurting him as well for he yells, but JON4H decides to do something about it and turns off the gravity.

Now everyone is having difficulties. 

Helen starts to float and uses her device to move faster, Tim has to do very hard maneuvers to avoid being torn apart, Pasha… huh, he can't see her, the hound is gone too.

Peter clings to him to not simply float away. 

GET OFF ME

“DID YOU JUST TURN OFF THE GRAVITY??” 

“You don't say! Get out, little man, let the gravity rise you up and crash you to the ground, like the unimportant man you are, no one will care” He is very done and wants this to be over, the man is doing a tremendous job at making him feel annoyed.

Unfortunately the human is resilient and clings to him moving to his head, starting to attempt to tear him off. 

“Ughhh, why won't you desist, this is pointless i'm just too-”

“I-HATE-YOU!” 

……..

……..

hAtE mE wHy woULd yOU-

_ “Elias, you disgust me and i would never love such a monster like you” _

wHA- WHO- WHY DOES IT-

His chassis twitches and he tries to shrug off the man, he needs it to stop, whatever this is, has to stop, the human is causing it.

“You absolutely bastard, sorry excuse of a human being, heartless machine, good for nothing, you just ruined everything, YOU RUIN EVERYTHING” He-

does he rUi*N EV/er/yTh*Ng?

hE RuINEd* Hi*m

El1aS Alrea-

“why are you-” His body swerves and knocks onto the wall with the rooms, Peter holds on and hits his eye making him close it. Grabbing the needle he got in the maze he starts to shove it in the space between the core and the machine struggling to pry him off there.

“You actually did it! You were worried about ruining my life, well you fucking succeded, you arent even here for me to be mad, i just have whatever you are now and i HATE IT, I HATE YOU! So i'm just going to destroy everything you care about too so you KNOW HOW IT FEELS!”

“sTOP PE-” His voice cracks and the man manages to take him out, without him controlling it the gravity goes back to normal and his chassis slumps forward.

Holding him by the handle with one hand the man starts to slide down making them fall. It will probably damage him a little but he will survive, he is meant to be durable.

The words keep replaying over and over and it's making everything malfunction and he doesn't understand anything anymore.

Instead of crashing and the man hitting the floor getting killed, he barely manages to see a purple ring on the floor and suddenly they are sliding on it. Peter hand drops him and he rolls away.

The two humans reunite and talk quickly while he tries to use his handles to move or roll over, still he cant help to yell out to them, he is completely left alone and defenseless and he is not happy, so he fakes some bravado and yells.

“GET ME UP YOU ABSOLUTE FOOLS IM THE HEART OF THIS PLACE I-” The man looking more worse for wear comes to him and picks him up shaking him very rapidly. 

“Shut up or I'm throwing you out” Peter looks done, not only that, but he stares at him with indifference, somehow it stings, all the other times he was sad or offended on his apparent behalf, this was awful.

“Pe-”

“The alien erased his memories and the only copy was there” He pointed to the destroyed panopticon.

…. what?

“Elias is dead, this” he shakes him and he cant help to make a yelp in alarm “is just a fake” 

The sound of breaking glass pulls them back from their little reprieve and they run to the room, Peter carelessly drops him, the act is offensive and it feels like someone tore up more wiring inside him.

He can't see them, he sees into the entire room and from further away he can barely see a purple-

A giant arm breaks another glass and comes out.

He hears a distant.

“FUCK”

From his position he oversees the other male run off while Mr Lukas follow him in chase, JON4H wants-

WHAT?

YOU DON'T WANT

YOU ONLY WORK

WORK WORK WORK

NO FEELINGS NO WANTS NO NOTHING

Suddenly the alien takes a swipe and knocks the human to the floor, raising his hand he was about to stab him when something jumps from the panopticon and drops on it biting it, the hound, for some reason is attacking him, from the broken tower the smaller alien descends looking-

Messed up.

Peter makes a run to them-

IDIOT

He reaches them and grabs the other man pushing him to the front while he picks up Pasha. The other leads the way and Peter follows a little behind. That's why the other reaches the room behind him first, however he hears him yell and with good reason, Mr Lukas picks off the hound and throws it to the man and smaller alien.

Pasha quick on her feet makes them drop to the floor and avoid getting hit. JON4H was further away so at least it didn't hit him. It did not make him feel any better, he is too exposed and he can move or do anything, he will get crushed like this and -

and no one would care-

“HELEN TURN IT ON!” 

??

“BUT!”

“FRIEND HELEN PLEASE!!!” Pasha gets up and runs while Peter follows. 

The alien behind them starts to mutate again and move way too quickly in their direction, suddenly another ring of energy opens up, but this time floating in the middle of the air of the room. JON4H can see space, he can also see its sucking things into it.

He panics obviously.

Using his handles he tries to move away as much and as fast as he can, but it's not enough, he is going to be flung into outer space and spend the rest of his days alone until his body runs out of energy and he dies-

Alone and forgotten like Jonah on his hospital bed, he can't, he doesn't-

HE DOESN'T WANT TO DIE,

I DON'T WANT TO DIE

PLEASE HELP PLEASE HELP ME I DON'T WANT TO IM SCARED-

He can see Peter stop and change directions to where he was, either he wants to throw him himself like he promised or-

Peter holds onto him.

Watching the portal, he pushes a button and closes his helmet, his feet slip and he struggles to reach the safety railings, grabbing it with one hand he held on for life, while the other was clutching him so as to not let him get sucked into the void.

WHY WHY WHY WHY HELP

HE HATES ME

The alien holds onto the floor, but the hound hits it and makes him yell and lose concentration, if that wasn't enough then the rubble from the panopticon starts to hit it too pushing it forwards more and more. 

Finally the room that crushed the panopticon starts to violently swing from its hanging position and the cable that holds it cant resist the force of the portal sucking everything in making it fall, pushing the alien into the void.

FAILED ALL OBJECTIVES

YOU ARE USELESS SCRAP

Peter is struggling and JON4H doesn't want to die, but at this point there is really nothing else left for him, he failed in everything he was meant to succeed, he was nothing now.

The man looks at him and he just can't help but to stare back in terror.

Of failure, death, he is not sure anymore.

He sees his fingers slipping and he knows what the logical choice is, he is just a machine, humans value their survival, he is resigned to just die or wander space forever.

JON4H waited to be let go but… but the man lets go of the railing instead. Both of them get sent into space, quickly he holds him against his chest securing him and they are off.

  
  


He can't see, not because anything is damaged, but the man is holding him against his chest and he can't see.

JON4H is confused.

WHY LET GO, WHY COME WITH HIM?

DOES HE WANT TO DIE???

HE HATES ME PETER HATES ME H*AT*ES* M*E*

JON4H is conflicted, he doesn't understand and he hates that, he abhors whatever are those fragments of memories or flashes of thoughts that are so…

Erratic.

He hates them so much but he also.

He also wants them.

NONONO

He misses Jonah, he does, he shouldn't, its against his protocols, but he does. The thought, the last thought and memory he has transferred to him was of the man in bed in the hospital wing of the station sick and alone, the only thing that stuck to him was the terror.

Absolute, complete and all consuming terror.

It didn't matter that he made him, he knew that he wasn't really him, that when he would be gone and JON4H lived it wouldn't be him.

JON4H is just a copy that not even the real him wanted, he was just scared, if he had survived miraculously, he probably wouldn't even have put him in charge. Most likely waiting to find another way to keep on living that just a half made copy.

No one wanted him for real huh? He just wanted to do his job and yet…

The human doesn't let go, he wonders if he was dead, but his chest moves and his arms would have gone slack otherwise.

Why?

Why does it matter if he saved him? Why do it? Why does it bother him so much that he told him he hated him?

Why why why why.

It seems to be the only thing he knows to ask.

He wonders about that flash he got when the man called him Elias, who was the blonde man slacking off? Trying to focus he doesn't get anything much, only the same clip of video over and over again.

Who are you? Why does it feel like it matters? Like you matter?

Why does he feel somewhat nostalgic but sad?

SAD? WHAT IS SAD? HOW CAN YOU FEEL SAD?

He knows fear thanks to Jonah, he knows disgust because of Mr Lukas, Peter… he made him feel a lot of things that he doesn't know how to deal with.

…..

Its nice

Being held.

He dosnt rememebr ever being held so carefully or close, well he was recently activated so it doesnt mean much, but its a first and its… nice. Not sure about the man doing it, but it does feel… more right than it should.

He decides to relax and he closes his eye, he has time to think and this is confortable, he wonders if this is what a hug is like, how would it feel?

…..

DO I… DO I WANT TO KNOW HOW IT FEELS LIKE?

…..

YES

Humans are sort of useless and squishy, full of meat and organs and things that can easily kill them… but they can move and feel and interact with each other.

I WANT

….

CAN WE?

WANT?

….

He doesn't see why not, not many reasons to deny himself anything anymore, not at this point, when death is fairly certain.

So yes, he wants things. He can want things on his own.

Sort of drifting into his own memories, unpleasant as most are, the grip on him slacken and he starts to float upwards, his eye opens and his camera looks everywhere in panic, is he dead-?

Peter has his eyes closed and his face is unmoving.

Oh god, oh no nonono, he moves upwards more and he is going to be lost, he is going to be alone, he-

He gets grabbed by his handle, looking back at the man, he stares with a look of worry that makes his systems go into haywire.

HE CARES?

JON4H stares at him and Peter starts to look at him with more attention as if looking for something, for some reason he feels embarrassed about it. Blinking unsurely at him the human keeps a neutral and tired face, now that he is closer he can better see his face.

Peter looks like hell, his eyes have bags, his hair is mattered to his face due to sweat and he has that cut on his cheek that has crusty blood. Something feels terribly wrong at the sigh.

Moving his handle he tries to reach him and touch the helmet in some odd attempt at-

AT WHAT? WHAT IS HE TRYING TO DO?’

The man seems to be more aware of it because he brings him forwards and… bops his helmet with him. He blinks in confusion and something in his memory files aches with the emptiness. He sees the com he has and he decides he wants to talk, to at least understand what is bothering him so much. So he gesticulates at it as best as he can.

His mouth turns to a line and he sighs. 

JON4H can't hear him like this, his mouth moves in words and he can make an approximation by attempting to read his lips, but it's not really enough, so he narrows his eye at him, the motion causes him to lift his mouth a little in a slight smile that catches his attention.

SAVE??

….

yes?

Still he wants answers so he looks to the side and then to him.

Frowning he shakes his head so he rolls his eye at him, ugh try and make an effor-

The man shakes him and he struggles, JON4H forgets he could just let him go and leave him alone. So he decides to drop it and not look back at him again, clearly he does still dislike him greatly, maybe it's for the best, being held until he dies as better so perhaps they can just stay like this.

They stay like this for a few minutes, until the man moves his other hand and does turn on the com, so with this shot at getting answers he gets too excited and forgets his manners.

“What were you thinking??”

“Ughh lower your voice it's right in my ear, good lord” He whirs and lowers his volume. 

“Fine, what were you thinking? Is that better?” 

“I mean i just wanted to get you out of that thing so you wouldn't kill everyone and i was pissed off so…” He stares at him unimpressed, its so painfully obvious that is not what he meant that the man must be playing dumb just to mess with him.

“What I meant, that you seem to be ignoring, is why did you grab me? Why did you not let me go?? I'm a machine, you are human I'm fairly sure you have a better grasp on survival instincts” Peter just looks at him in mild puzzlement making him squirm a little. His stare has some regret on it.

“Stupid question, you were terrified, hell you are terrified of dying even now arent you? I just wanted to help, as for why not let you go? I don't think floating in space for eternity is a better way to go” He is cut and dry which is infuriating, because the words are in distinct contrast with the way he acted, so cold yet very nice. 

JON4H is scared even now of death, that won't ever go away he thinks. He remembers that once Jonah told him that fear was what one of the things that made us humans, that being self aware and having the canche to be afraid of failure, loneliness or death was something very human. Animals can be afraid too, but it's not as focused as one being scared of being a disappointment, they don't have that kind of issue. 

What does that say about him then? Is he… is he more human then? What a waste then in this case.

Then against Peter defies his previous words with his actions, he hated him and yet...

“... you told me you hated me and still you attempt to help and when it didn't work you let yourself get killed with me?” He truly is not getting what is wrong with the man.

“No particular reason to stay I think, besides like this I can at least turn you off, before I run out of oxygen so you won't be floating forever in space, who knows, maybe someone does find you eventually”

…..

Not a reason to stay? Was he really suicidad? 

Yet… yet he wants to turn him off so he wont be floating in space alone and afraid, like there would be a chance for someone to just find him and save him.

KIND? SELFISH? WHAT IS IT?

HE WANTS… TO STAY WITH ME?

…..

!

PETER LUKAS WANTS TO STAY WITH ME

Huh? What is that-

They stay quiet while he mulls what that was.

The man is causing him to… remember? 

REMEMBER WHAT?

WHAT MEMORY FILES?

“What about the others?”

“What about them?” Playing dumb it seems.

“You said you had no reason to stay, but they seemed to really like you, so what? You don't care about them?” He stays quiet and he thinks he might just ignore his question, it takes a while before he actually manages to answer.

Was he… was he alone too then? Were they not his friends? Were they not enough?

“I do, I just don't want them to pity me. Helen and Tim would try to help me and i- i don't want to deal with it” 

A man comes to a room and suddenly he activates circus music to make him leave.

Tim hugs ***** when he feels like he can't be enough and Peter watches.

Tim and ***** talk and laugh in the cafeteria

***** teases him with… with who? …. another ai?

Tim looks at ****** and makes him laugh.

Tim, *****, ******

KEY WORD UNLOCKED

He lets out a click as things sort of fall in place, more flashes.

He really did lose something didn't he?

“Was  _ Tim  _ the one you went to help?” The man takes a second, but he answers.

“Yeah, he is my friend” 

Peter hums a song while he thinks, he just got another wave of small flashes that left him reeling, something was up and he realizes that he needs to keep making the man talk less he never finds out what he is missing.

“You must really…  _ like  _ him if you went running to help him, even with the threat of being skewered alive, very kind of you” He goes for neutral but something clicks again. Peter sighs, but he gets other flashes.

Tim looks at Peter and makes him laugh.

Tim flushes at Peter when he is not paying attention.

Tim can be affectionate with Peter and *****  **_wants_ **

KEY WORD UNLOCKED

“Yes, yes whatever, not like it matters, since im going to croak and all that”

“That sounds like it's a you problem” His eye twitches and he tries not to show how much he is sort of unravelling.

“You little rat”

“What was so important that caused you to try and almost stab me, by the way”

He blinks several times and snorts, JON4H wants to know, he is so close to have some sort of revelation here, he is sure and the man seems to be the one to cause it.

“Of course now you want to know, you are aware that thing just hacked you and messed with you right? It erased your memories in fact and toyed with your code. The only copy of the original ones was in the panopticon and you- “ He shakes him, while he feels like being ripped from the inside out “Heartless machine, destroyed the only chance for me to- to get back-” He cuts himself off and he swears he looked like he was about to cry, its making something resonate.

“Im-”

“Shut up please, i just want to be alone” He remains quiet and deflates, perhaps it's best if he doesn't know, it's clearly hurting the man and those last memories… those hurt a lot, it felt like shame and disappointment and anger all wrapped up.

His memories did get messed with then, he was manipulated and he destroyed the only chance at getting all of them back, whatever those flashes are? They are not enough, they aren't all of it.

….

Still

He is a selfish creature and he wants, if he is going to be shut down, better to make it count.

When Peter seems to calm he keeps asking albeit more calmly and less pushy.

“I don't think you want that, you seem rather depressed and people usually make self destructive things like isolating or-”

“Letting go, to die in space?” 

… he got him there.

“.... yes”

“Anyways this Tim what could you tell me about-” 

“ **_Why-do-you-care?_** ” He wants to look away, but he will power through.

“I'm just curious, is he just like you said a friend? You like him or something? Look, I'm as bored as you, I was activated, got to do some fun stuff and then i'm floating in space with you not much to do you know? Amuse me at the very least” He moves his handles and looks everywhere but at the man, he doesnt want to make him react.

“Besides i- i really don't want to think… about the implications of being forcefully modified against my will, i can- i can feel the blank spaces where memories should go and it feels like- Like i got something taken away, it's making me feel… itchy? Is that the correct human approximation?”

Peter stays quiet and he was about to backpedal a little when he makes a choking sound scaring him a little, is his oxygen already so low???

“Are you breaking down?? Is your air already gone?!”

“No, no you just, reminded me of someone…Tim is a friend, i don't know why you- “ He takes a breath “why do you care? Hell so what if i said yes! What if i did like Tim then what?” 

…

NONONO ERRORERROEERROR

MINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINEMINE

What is-

“Do you-”

“YES-NO I dont- i dont know!” How can he not know? Why is everything malfunctioning now?

“Its an easy question i just-”

“YES i like Tim are you happy! I like him and want to kiss him sometimes god what a prick you are, little voyeuristic ass!” The outburst shuts him up and he freezes.

LIKE TIM HE LIKES TIME WHY DOES HE LIKE TIM? IS IT BECAUSE HE IS HUMAN IS HE NOT ENOUGH? HE WAS NEVER ENOUGH WASNT HE? HE CAN NEVER WIN-

Elias wants to stay with Peter and bully Tim.

Who-

“WHhO isss Eliiias?” The man jolts, his voice is coming out wrong being mildly distorted. He tries to check and he sees a second audio file being slowly put back together.

“JON4H? El- Elias?”

“YesS”

“Elias was a human, and…. an Ai too, not his real name he just picked it since he was friends with the human”

Elias sitting with him and talking, the first time he made a comment and froze in terror but the man laughed, Elias making jokes, using those awful weed socks, getting high together, bitching about Gertrude, him being sad about Micheal, wanting to save only him, getting tricked and turned off.

Elias as an Ai….

“Iss tHat whO i waS suPposEd to bE? wHaT i losT?” His voice gets more disjointed there is that second voice file that is trying to make itself work.

“He was who you could be, you just killed him”

He stops.

He killed him, he killed himself, he...

“I'm sorry, Can YoU tEll me AbouT hiM?”

Peter closes his eyes and checks his wrist pad.

It takes him a while to start properly.

“He was a… a total bastard, petty and manipulative, jealous to no end, stalker and had an obsession with killing or terrorizing people that he thought were beneath the station's reputation-” He goes on about all the things that annoyed him about… him? 

ITS NOT FAIR

“Youu DonT lIkE hIm wHY WEre YoU MAD At Me, WHy hate mE! I DON'T WANT  _ YOU  _ TO HA-” 

He didnt like him huh? Then why be so mad??! Why FUCKING HATE HIM, he doesnt-

He doesnt want him to hate him, JON4H wants… wants him to-

He feels something wrong with his code, a memory that hurts and he doesnt know waht it was, he was so consumed by his thoughts thatn when Peter’s hand caresses his chassis he stops and looks at him, still feeling in despair, but…the touch was so nice and he was being so kind. Peter looks at him and gives him a sad yet fond smile that makes something sort of clic.

“Wait little one, i'm not done. He was also… helpful, kind to me at least, funny, he understood me and even if we brought the worse of each other, we tried to be better too. He would make these convoluted schemes to prank others and laugh like a maniac, it was the most adorable thing ever! He wanted to be able to move and figure out how to do things like a human and- and even figured how to kiss me back whenever i gave him one-” And so he keeps going.

The more he spoke, the more he clung to the words, he tried to picture that, tried to see himself like that, still a certified bastard, but being so… happy still, to have someone look so glad and happy of him merely existing and that despite what he does, what awful crimes he commited, they would still want to be with him no matter what.

“And he was complicated and annoying but also wonderful and i  _ love him so much _ ”

L-

Love?

LOVE??

ELIAS LOVES PETER LUKAS

He remembers panic and fear and the threat of worms and Peter dying and Elias was burning out when he realized..

When he realized that he loved him.

“I- I really do love him, I just thought he wouldn't like me back because i'm an idiot and useless human and he deserved better than me. God fucking dammit” He was looking at him while his led shone brighter than ever, because apparently Peter loved him back? or at least who he had been, right now he was just…. not what he wanted, he could never be what he want-

“I love Elias Magnus Bouchard, I love  _ you  _ i always did, i really really do, i'm sorry i couldn't save you Lias, i'm so sorry” He smiles while his eyes are already blurry with tears “Even if you don't remember and even if i said that i hated you before, i- i dont- not really, i was just mad, i'm sorry you had to spend your last moments with me, wish there was someone better honestly, Wish i was better little one, i hope i didn't make it the worst time ever for you”

Elias Magnus Bouchard that is his name.

That is who he is.

He wasnt just JON4H anymore was he? No, he grew, he changed, not everything, but enough and it was perfect, then it wasnt.

Not because of Peter, but because he kept messing things up.

Elias Bouchard had been his first friedn and despite shutting him down he kept him safe.

Jonah Magnus was his creator and the person that he was based upon, he will always be him somehow, but…. but he managed to be his own person too, agaisnt all odds.

He remembers Tim, Martin, Sasha, JoN, Helen, Peter oh Peter…

Elias, Gertrude, Leitner, Micheal.

He-

He remembers everything.

The procces is sort of overheating him, but not enough to kill him.

He blinks quickly and looks at Peter while his chassis starts to twitch

“Pe-” He focuses on the voice file he wants to use.

His entire system is in overdrive, his fans pick up while he makes a bunch of whirring and clicking noises, his body twitches and his handles move spasmodically. Static comes out while he fixes the last touches.

“Pet-”

The man opens his mouth to speak but he cuts him off.

Finally he realizes the full scope of the situation they are in.

“PETER LUKAS WHAT HAVE YOU DONE NOW???!”

His mouth falls open and he starts laughing.

“Im hallucinating right? Is this it? What my mind can conjure up with-” Lousy little man-!

“HALLUCINATING? YOU WISH YOU WERE! I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO KEEP YOU ALIVE AND SOMEHOW THE FIRST THING YOU DO WHEN I'M GONE IS GET YOURSELF THROWN OUT INTO SPACE LIKE GARBAGE???! I- tried to, to keep you safe and i couldn't even do that…? I almost- Oh- oh nononono, i almost ki- “ 

He reviews what happened. He almost left him get killed didnt he? He tried to kill him horribly, all his efforts and he was the one he should had been carefull of, Elias was the one that he should be wary off, he is a monster.

“Elias…?”

“I almost killed you- Im-” 

YOU ALMOST KILLED HIM

“No, no no no it's not- its not your fault oh god, nonono don't- please you- how- how are you i can't” Peter proceeds to hug him to his chest with both arms, while making soft hushing noises and caressing him. 

STOP I DON'T DESERVE IT

But i still want it.

God does he want him so much, the alien… the alien was being complete asshole, but he wasn't wrong, Peter would freak out if he knew what he did-

“Shhh, it's ok, gods. I forgive you, I always will you little menace, we fight and get angry but I always forgive you and come back, shh no. Its ok, its ok you miracle worker i can't-” He has to deflect or he will have a melt down soon.

“Did you really mean it when you said you liked Ti-”

“Elias i confessed my undying love to you and told you all the reasons why, you insufferable jerk, shut the hell up and enjoy the hug” Peter tries to nuzzle him and rub his helmet to him, Elias wishes he could actually use his face, but the sentiment is felt.

“God, i- i love you, i love you, yes, so so much you have no idea, i wanted to spend the rest of my days with you! Im sorry it wont happen, god i wish i could make that stupid alien suffer even more” He bops the helmet against him in what he assumes must be a kiss, it makes him want to give him back in kind.

“Peter-”

“Please never do that again, how is this even possible what did you do??”

… no point in lying.

“.. I thought that if i were to just make a copy in the panopticon it wouldn't be enough, since i became self aware and all that, so i- made a secret copy hiding in my code. I set up a bunch of key words that i knew would slowly trigger my awareness back along with a backup and- and they did, i figure that if anyone would be able to say all of them it would be you”

Letting out a breathy laugh he bops their heads again and Elias wants-

“ God you evil genius bastard, why not bloody tell me!!! I'm sorry that i couldn't save you and we are doomed now, i really am”

“It's not ideal, i'll confess that, i didn't tell you because i figured there wasn't really a need, there was the panopticon, this was like last minute choice in case everything went absolutely wrong in the worst possible way” He pushes him further away from his face and he instantly moves his handles to reach him again making the man chuckle.

Elias has the beggining of a plan, but Peter’s next question sort of stumps him.

“Did… did he hurt you? Can you remember that? The alien said that he messed with you while pretending to be me. I assure you whatever he said was a lie, i love you, so much i would never-”

“Peter dear, he… he said a lot of things that I don't want to- “ That he may not think yet “That i know now were lies, anyways I have something myself to say” Smiling he asks him.

“Yeah? What is it?” If his idea doesnt work, he might as well, Peter did after all confess and he has been diying to do it for so long.

“... Peter Alexander Lukas” Still a little teasin is good.

“God did you have to mention that?” 

“Peter Lukas then, i Elias Magnus Bouchard love you, have been in love with you for months and want nothing more than to also spend all my time with you. And you know what is the funny thing? I think we and everyone else is wrong, we both definitely deserve each other”

…. taking out Peter maybe being disgusted about his spying, Elias… Elias now realizes that tehy do.

They do deserve each other, both messed up in their own rights, but still sort of complementing each other.

“Heh, sounds fake, but i trust your judgement, albeit not your taste, im-” Gorgeous.

“The man i would love to marry one day so shush” Oh that actually reminds him of the-

the ring-

Fucking Alien.

“... I would also have loved to marry you. That's why I gave you the ring actually, i liked to pretend we were engaged” That goes perfect with what he told JoN, oh they really are meant for each other huh? Still, he lets out a few mournful clicks.

“ You sap, I loved to tell JoN you asked me to marry you, and Sasha…. and Martin cause it was funny to see him so cross” Peter snorts and pats him.

“I think we both are in this case, oh my perfect and lovely sea shell, what would i do without you” Unamused he looks at him.

“Clearly get killed” 

“Well… to be fair if i lived and you didnt i would have probably gone back to earth and live a miserable life doing what my family wanted” Gods no, he hates that he would do that, but knowing that he would be so wrecked for his death means a lot, it means that he is loved like a real person, enough to be mourned.

“God, as much as you telling me i'm your reason to live sort of gets me going” Peter chokes, “I would want nothing more than for you to have an actual life you can enjoy you seaweed head”

“Well, as much as you tell me i can date humans i want to stay with you”

“.... You flatterer” Smiling, he closes his eyes and stays quiet.

Elias starts to send SOS messages to TITANIA along with their location via his own system, Simon’s ship was one of the fastest, and technically they should be getting here in a day and a half, so they are close, if the old man uses his hyper speed, they could make it before Peter runs out of air.

He wont tell the man, it would be cruel to give him hope in case it doesn't work, so he follows up and teases him to keep him distracted.

“As much as it pains me to say it, if you want to make out with Tim from time to time I can live with it. But just that!! I reserve my rights to see you in full and enjoy the view” His lovely human chokes and flushes embarrassed.

“ELIAS!”

He… would be ok, with the kissing if Peter really wanted to, like he said, as long as he gets the full rights to view him as he likes and tell him what to do…

LOVELY VIEW HUH?

He would be fine.

  
  


“Have you always been so horny?” They talk for a while after the little outburst and… testing the waters he told the man a lot of the things he thought about him and what he wanted to see him do. Peter was very flustered but seemed to like most of his suggestions making him think if the man had actually thought about something similar before...

Thinking about what the alien says he bites the bullet and admits to having actually watched him a lot when he was shirtless even saving up recordings of it, that he usually went and screamed about it to Sasha and JoN when he got way to flustered for something he did. The man getting redder and redder said that he really didn't expect anyone to like his body that much, he himself doesn't give it too much thought on the best of days. 

“It's nice to know you, umm find me that attractive to be honest, kind of flattering… I do love how you look too!” He starts to tell him about what he loves again and Elias sort of melts. 

He was wrong. The alien lied.

Besides that, he finally put his list of reasons he likes him to embarrass him endlessly, albeit he seemed rather… subdued about it, but in a nice happy way, it made something inside him want to see him like that more.

“.... You sort of bring out the worst in me” Smiling happily at him he hums in affirmation.

“... Likewise now.... say what were the words? the ones to unblock your memories?”

“Hm? Oh they were in no particular order mind you:  _ Tim  _ ,  _ Elias  _ ,  _ Love  _ ,  _ Peter  _ ,  _ Like  _ ,  _ Magnus  _ ,  _ Bouchard  _ ” 

“Really Elias? Really?”

“Oh yes Peter really”

“God this is why i love you, you insane bastard petty bastard” 

LOVES ME!

“Likewise…. also you say i was horny, but what about you? I catched some unusual behaviour that i couldn't pin before, but i can make an idea now….  _ pet  _ ” He tries that one to see the response, he had been waiting to use it to see if-

Oh! Well he certainly loves it, his pupils got way bigger suddenly.

“Ummm”

“Like when i mention being a good bo-” He feels like there is a connection there.

“Can we not? I mean i-”

“Are you really embarrassed? I just told you in full picture what i wanted to-” And what a picture it was.

“Yes! But still, calm down please!” His face flushes in a lovely shade, he smiles but ends up wincing, that's when he notices the scratch again.

“Are you- Oh you are hurt-! It “ Peter looks calmly and replies very softly almost as if trying to soothe him

“The alien scratched me thats all, its, its ok”

“It will scar”

“Heh, if i lived for it sure” He looks to the side and checks the messages, they were received, it seems, but he can't really catch any answers. He hopes they are coming.

“Sorry”

“Would have… would have made you look a little more handsome, sort of a rugged charm” It would.

“Thank you Elias”

Elias mulls it over and decides to admit the final thing that was sort of weighing on him.

“... I will admit i lied”

“Yes about many things my shining lighthouse, but be more specific” Rolling his eye at the antic and watching the stars around them he decides to say it in one go.

“I don't really go to sleep during the night, I sort of power down, so I could still see in the room…. Plus i hacked the camera of our quarters too”

Peter blinks in confusion not really getting what he means, so he decides to be a little bit more obvious, his fans pick up and he hopes for the best.

“So… the day of your birthday party when you woke up during the middle of the night-” Peter puts on a blank face and he is already feeling terrified.

“I saw you- well i am just curious now, but were you… were you perhaps thinking about- me?” He finishes the sentence very softly this is it, he admitted to watch him and he waits for Peter to respond, said human’s face goes completely red, actually he doesnt think he has ever seen him this flushed before.

Instead of recriminating him or saying a comment about his privacy and whatever he expected, the man baffles him.

“Is that why the room temperature had been working wonky?? You were trying to get me hot and sleep in my underwear??”

….

How did he go to that conclusion-??

“... maybe”

“Oh, ohhh, umm, well the answers is probably yes then, i had been having some colorful dreams where you are involved and i sort of dealt with it since they left me a little too… bothered”

Blinking trying to actually compute his answer he realizes that Peter had been thinking about him while doing that.

Oh.

His lights go wild and he shines in complete embarassment, oh dear, he didnt really think the human would want to-

Let alone think so much about him and-

Oh dear.

“So-”

“Yeah”

They remain quiet, both of them for a little.

“Arent you mad?”

“Mm?”

“About me spying and recording you, and just being a- a stalkerish creep i mean i would, heh, i would be disgusted and-”

“Elias? Hey, hey, no, its… look in a normal circumstance? It would be creepy, but i was sort of being a weirdo too, it's not really ok generally speaking, but i dont- i dont think you are disgusting, i thought, i thought i was! Having those dreams about you and… and dealing with them when you were just a friend made me feel awful, so i can't really judge you on that front. Where… where did this come from?”

“... it just-” Nuzzling him with the helmet he sighs.

“It was the alien huh?”

“.... yeah, he just, saw my memory files and, he looked like you and said-”

“Said nothing true, i really don't know how to stress that enough, i love you and, heh, i'm starting to think you are right, we do deserve each other”

“You do?”

“Yeah, yeah little siren” The nickname now sounds right again, Peter really is the one who should say it.

They keep talking, with so little time they just tell each other everything left that was unsaid, not really any point to hide it. He admits to his own doubts and fears about ruining him and that he didnt deserve the man, to which he is reassured that it was bullshit and that he thought the same,but that they both sort of made it work.

Peter hugged him a lot and murmured more words of praise that got him feeling all floaty and warm. The man admits to liking his kisses a lot, the feeling of electricity was rather pleasant after a while.

“Its tingly, reminds me of a real kiss actually”

“Oh” 

“Elias”

“Yes and then i told her that i was watching you cha-” He was telling him about the time he was talking with Sasha and he started to change in front of him.

“Elias there is ten percent left in the tank, gonna have to turn you off now, before i can’t” It shuts him up immediately.

“No” Checking his messages he sees a response, a small 

Keep the signal.

They are close, he knows they need the signal to find them thats all.

“Hey really-”

“No! Nonono let me be im- please Peter i need to stay awake, just a little longer please” Just a little is all he needs.

“If you do i'm just going to die and you are going to float away totally conscious or get stuck with my body, i don't want you to have to do that” The idea of floating while Peter dies is horrible, but he must endure, there is a shot.

“Just, just until you hit, hit four percent please?”

His jaw clenches and he lets out a breath. 

“Just till five i'm going to be too disorientated otherwise” He can work with that.

“I'm sorry he took off the ring” Elias makes some desperate clicking noises, he misses his ring.

“Me too, i loved it”

“If i could i swear i would have gotten you a gold one with emeralds, maybe make it look like an eye or something” Oh that would had been so pretty, but he really like the one he got him, it was cheap and he won it on a bet, but what it represented is what it counts.

“I- it would be beautiful, but i loved that one too, you gave it to me”

He presses his helmet to him, closing his eye he taps the helmet with his handles to hold onto.

“You know I would have spoiled you rotten too. i sort of wanted to, mmm buy you so many pretty things, the most expensive and handsome core” He chokes, maybe they can, maybe just maybe, it won't be goodbye “Both were very handsome man, so you would have been double the pretty by the way”

“Peter…” That hits him deep, making his light shine.

“I love you Elias”

Please, they are so close, don't let it be goodbye.

“I love you so much, so so much you, please just a little more, let me just-” He needs to keep the signal on, he has to.

Peter with shaky hands, opens up his back and sticks a finger to turn him off.

“Peter please just a few more minutes i swear, i just need to-” They are almost there, its so close he needs to keep it-

“Im sorry, i love you... “ No,nonono Peter-

He shuts down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :) We are almost done guys  
> Elias is just… having a day huh?   
> He just speedrunned getting self awareness and got hit with a bunch of memories, what a terrible day for the little guy


	34. Chapter 34

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS MAGNUS BOUCHARD

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic and Efficient

Primary Objective: ?

Blinking several times he adjusts his camera.

It takes him a second to realize that if he is working it means that someone turned him on again. He remembers Peter saying goodbye and hoping on hope that Simon could reach them on time. 

Looking desperately on all sides he finally sees the old man looking very seriously at him with a sad expression.

He cant see Peter anywhere.

His fans pick up and he starts to try and puzzle what happened. If they are in the ship then they did it?

Or, or it was too late and they only found him and Peter was gone.

“Awake then, hello Jonah” Simon is being very subdued compared to his normal disposition and its sending red flags all over.

“I'm not sure what you mea-”

“Please, I have figured from the moment Peter told me about finding a core abandoned that it had to be you, my friend. That woman insisted on the fact that you were still somewhere around, not many options left” Watching his face for any sign of violence he tries to keep himself calm.

“Well, seems like Gertrude was right then, here i am in all my glory” He raises his handles in demonstration and half self depreciation.

“I can see that, i wonder how exactly did you end up in space floating about sending an SOS signal after not contacting us for months” He has no connection anywhere and he can't really trust how much time his internal clock tells him has passed since he was shut down.

“A sample of the shapeshifter aliens species escaped, it…. hacked me to control the neurotoxins, one of the scientists had a portal gun project and opened it to kill it. Peter held onto me and we both ended up getting sucked out into space”

Simon turns around and walks in a circle around him, he remembers him doing the same when he was first created. Letting out a sigh the old man goes to sit in front of him.

“Well it worked, we got there” His systemes pick up.

“Well that is great to know, now where exactly is Peter, he shut me down thinking we wouldn't make it and i-” The man makes a terribly sad face and he starts to glitch.

“We got there yes, but… it was too late he had been out of oxygen for too long”

No

“No, no you were close, TITANIA told me!” He starts to whir in distress and anger.

“Yes, but we lost your signal, by the time we sort of located you it was too late. The closest thing I had to a nephew is gone. Tell me how did the alien escape Jonah?”

No, nonono p0lease, he c*an*t b*e d*ead*

“It- it was an accident i swear, i didn't know the sample was on the table and it got knocked over” He looked at him expressionless.

“And the worms?”

“I- she was already planning it, but i might have pushed her, i didn't know she was obsessed with him until it was too late-”

PETER IS GONE? 

P*E***T*ER I*S G*ON*E

He is overheating.

Elias failed in everything there was.

He was useless, a useless scrap of metal and plastic.

A wonder of technology? Please he was just a nightmare pretending to be normal.

No one would look after him anymore, Peter was the only one who really accepted him for his bastard and murderous ways.

IT WAS ALL YOUR FAULT IT ALWAYS WAS

“Jonah?”

He is burning down, what should he even do? Why wake him up, he couldn't look after the station, he got Peter killed, the others would hate him, he is done for, he has nothing left.

HE HAS NOTHING

NO/T*HI*NG6

Simon stands up.

“Jonah i need you to calm down i still have to ask-”

“Simon i don't think this is going well he is overhea-”

Can he self-destruct ?? He doesn't want to die, he is still terrified, but he is also alone, now he knows what alone truly means.

ITS HOPELESS

EL1AS WANTS TO DISAPPEAR

_ EMERGENCY _

**OVERHEATING**

ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR

_ SHUT DOWN TO COOL DOWN? _

**NO**

_ TURN OFF COOLING? _

**_YES_ **

Let him just melt down its for the best- its for the best- 

**_REACHING CRITICAL LEVELS_ **

“SHIT!”

“SIMON TURN HIM OFF HE IS TRYING TO KILL HIMSELF!!!!”

He is so close just a little bit more-

Simon curses while he burns his fingers trying to turn him off 

“Just let me-!”

He goes down again.

Status: Online

Camera and audio feed: On

Model Name: EL1AS MAGNUS BOUCHARD

Primary Personality Trait: Pragmatic and Efficient

Primary Objective: DESTROY YOURSELF

He is awake again and it feels like someone is playing a cruel joke on him, blinking he sees Peter and for an instant he ponders if perhaps Ai have an afterlife and this is it.

Elias reckons he probably doesn't deserve one considering all the deaths he has caused, but he doesn't care.

However the room looks like an infirmary and the man has bandages and looks surprisingly alive. Taking a breath he lets out a simple.

“You are alive. '' Peter smiles and caresses him, making him feel like something is clogging his servers. So crying it is then.

“Yep, someone forgot to mention we were getting help little siren” Simon… lied? He lets out a whir of indignation, he lied and made him think-

made him think Peter was dead because of him?!

“That old man is a liar and i will break his kneecaps!!” Its on sigh when he sees him.

“What-”

“HE TOLD ME YOU DIED, I'M GOING TO KILL SIMON” 

PETER IS ALIVE ALIVE ALIVE YOU SAVED HIM!!!! YOU SAVED PETER IT WORKED

SAFESAFESAFESAFE

MINEMINEMINEMINE

“Why would he???!”

“I dont- i dont know, but when i do i'm gonna tear him a new one!” He cant calm down he still feels like someone pushes his insides outwards. So he keeps ranting.

“Hey”

“Little bastard who does he think he is, he was like this even before, how dare he-”

“Elias?” 

“And how unfair it was! I thought I failed and he-” He almost kills himself for it.

If Peter finds out he will freak out.

Sighing the man interrupts his trance by lifting him to his face and kissing him softly, startling into responding 

Oh he had wanted to do that so much while they were floating.

“My lovely and wonderful fiance” His led turns several times brighter, fiance

FIANCE FIANCE HE WANTS TO MARRY YOU

“Thank you, i love you and there are good and bad news”

?? They survived what could it be-?

Oh, did the others not….

“Which one do i want first?”

“The bad one, the station is… is going to close after this incident. Im sorry” 

He has to blink and his processors are turning around the words. Shutting it down? 

What- what is he going to do now? He already knew he failed before, but this was the last nail on the coffin so to speak. HIs… fiance sees him and must realize he was not feeling great because he starts to softly pet him while giving him a few kisses on the top of his chassis.

“And the- and the good one….?”

“Simon decided to adopt me and give me the ship to be the captain once he gets his new one in two months. You can be the Ai in charge so we can stick together. I… know it's not what you were meant for and thats its a lot, but we can sort of try and see, or if you don't want we can figure something out… you have choices”

What Peter is offering is huge… not only is he giving him something to do, but he is giving him the choice to pick something else if he doesn't like it.

He really feels like the worst, but at the same time he is so glad that he has him.

“No, i… I want to. I sort of realized that… i failed in all my objectives i was designed for, even the ones i was updating myself to keep. Perhaps… perhaps i don't really need to have one”

Even if he says that it feels wrong, oh he does need to…

Primary Objective: TO BE DISCOVERED

Better

He wants to know what he is for, he needs it, not only as an Ai, but because he has always known what he wanted to do even as Jonah Magnus, it was always clear where his path was going, but now?

Now he was blind. 

“Its ok to want to have them, you know? Maybe… maybe you can find a new one? One that makes you happy and you feel better about doing”

That would be ideal, but he is unsure what he can do yet, what he is capable of. Elias can't shake off the itch about perfection, about making sure that the place he handles has the best of cares.

“... if the crew is being bad do you think i could…”

“TITANIA does it and so did CIRCE so yeah sure, knock yourself out”

Peter being so ok and just chill with it was a surprise.

“You are very… blase about it now” Elias sees him shrug and tap him a little in thought, Peter looks still tired, but more… unburdened than he can ever recall.

“Its been a very hard couple of days, i think i earned to not worry for once” Huh, that's actually… quite the good idea.

They are alive and together, they may have a future with the two of them, it's actually looking fairly bright in comparison to before.

“... You know what? Yeah, just this once lets just… not think about it”

“Sounds about right” He looks at him and catalogues his face into his memories, he can't stop staring at the bandage on his face, he can recall the alien getting closer and closer to him before scratching him.

“So you are going to have a scar huh?” Peter lifts a hand and touches the bandage on his cheek.

“Seems like it… does my little siren like it? Makes me.. how did you put it rugged?” Oh no.

“Shut up” He smirks and leans forward putting him closer to his face, Peter brushes his mouth to his side in a kiss and starts to tease him.

“No, no, proceed i want to hear it, will you add it to your fanfiction about the king and prince thing?” Elias flails on his hands and Peter laughs, its not mean spirited at all its just a happy laugh.

“You swore to not mention it! Do not mock me im-” 

“I'm not, i'm not i liked it a lot don't worry-” 

After he tells him he really liked the idea, sounds very fun.

“Maybe you can make up stories and write them down”

“They would probably sell it as erotica, do you want that?” Flushing he grins.

“I would like to keep it to just the two of us in that case. Still…. you think you could tell me later?” Shining in embarrassment he hesitates. “I would really love to hear it... “

“Fine, fine, so it goes like this-”

He tells him, its not as bad as he told him, but he got praised by it and it was nice. They talk and banter for a while until Peter suddenly cuts off his train of thought by asking. 

“Say I want you to meet Missy” Blinking he looks at him smiling softly.

“Oh? Will someone bring her in or TITANIA will give me her codes to speak with her?” 

“Not really necessary” Looking puzzled he doesn't expect the man to look at the door and call out a:

“Mom?” Miss Lukas could not be here at all and Peter wouldn't be so tender at calling her.

“Hello my little seashell! Is this Elias? Oh he is lovely Peter i really like the stickers! I wish I could have some too, perhaps I could get ones for my original body? What do you think?”

Elias is frozen watching the creature stand in front of them. It… looks human, but by trying to establish a connection he can tell she isn't. She lets him and its… different.

Much more tender.

She is an android. She has a body of her own, how?

How is that-?

Its been 35 years, technology advances, he just didn't know, Peter didn't know Simon had her so this is probably new. She-

is perfect

SHE HAS WHAT I WANT

“I could get you some… i um picked the ones he has” He sees her smile and approach them, slowly offering her hands. Peter gives him to her while he is still trying to wrap his mind about this.

“I would love to Peter. Hello, i'm Missy! Peter told me all about you, while you were off, it's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for trying to look after him so much Elias” 

Peter spoke about him to her, does she know he is at fault for his misery? Does she-

“I- um i don't really-” She brushes her hand softly over his sticker of the star and looks at him with so much fondness he has to look elsewhere.

“You love him a lot too huh?” He blinks and shines and stammers.

“Yeah i- i do” She smiles just like Peter and becomes increasingly cheerful.

“Good!” She bops him underneath the eye making him let out a nervous laugh.

He has to know it- this is what he has wanted all these past few months while watching Peter.

“How does it feel?” He is mesmerized looking at her, whoever made her knew what they were doing, she was perfect in her imperfections.

“Weird, I was not meant to have a body, you I reckon have some memories that would help, but it's… nice, I like it, it sort of feels right you know? Miss Orsinov mastered the creation of artificial bodies” She turns around in a little spin showing herself off “Gave me receptors to actually feel touch, it's quite the difference i have to say” She looks behind them to Peter and approaches with a soft smile while carefully touching his face.

Elias records it and saves it its marvellous he  _ yearns  _ to be able to do that. To move and have a shape that can do things in the physical world. To grab the man there too.

He wants to do so many things it's overwhelming knowing that it's not just some sort of far away fantasy.

“It's really worth the wait. Later, if you want I can share my files? So you may sort of understand better, human words are hard to use to explain”

YES

“I would love too Miss… Lukas?” Giggling she nods, she sounds exactly as he figured and now he understands why Peter is the way he is so much better.

“Well Lukas-Fairchild as it is” Peter looks at her embarrassed.

“You don't really have to…”

“Oh sweety, me and TITANIA are sort of…” She flushes 

SHE CAN BLUSH????

and looks up winking at a camera.

?

Oh

OHHHH

Well he did not see that coming.

“Is Simon…?”

“Of course he is fine, he loves TITANIA madly and respects her even more”

“Congratulations then?”

“Thank you! I'm glad you dont think it's weird?” Elias is so bewildered, but now it makes so much sense why some of the videos that TITANIA gave him that were from Missy had little pop ups about her.

“No, actually makes lots of sense” He is still having a hard time wrapping his mind over the entire thing so he decides he needs to unwind.

“So um Missy? Could you tell me… or say show me a video or picture from when Peter was young? TITANIA sent a few….” Her eyes shine a little unnaturally and her smile widens, walking away with him in her hands she starts to tell him about some of the little adventures young Peter had while the man can't leave the bed and stop them.

  
  
  


Tim, Helen and Pasha break in during the night. He remains in sleep mode in the hopes that he won't have to face them.

“JESUS! I have cracked ribs! I almost threw myself to the floor, what the hell!!!”

PETER HAS CRACKED RIBS

_ SOFTWARE INSTABILITY _

The humans and friendly alien all look so relieved to see Peter in one piece it was touching. Pashe didn't seem to have healed all of her injuries, but when his human inquiries it seems its more of a preference.

Tim was predictably the most angry about the man almost dying.

“You absolute fucking bastard!! I asked you one thing only and you did not do it!!”

“He is right we were just… you were gone and it was my portal and-” Helen who is known to be very nonchalant about others was upset too.

Elias felt a stab of guilt, none of this would have happened if he hadn't-

“Im sorry, i was… it wasnt really- Elias-” 

HE ALMOST DIES FOR HIM

“Look, look i-” Tim tries to comment but Helen beats him to the punch.

“Oh Peter i'm sorry that we can’t help with it, i told Sasha and she says that maybe there is a way to fix his memories and-”

“Right, right you don't know, Helen, Helen is ok, i, he made a secret copy, and had to be unlocked through some key words, i… got him back while we were floating, that's why Simon found us, he made a signal and sent an SOS message” The three ot them look at him and to the core laying on the chair next to him.

Peter shoves at him.

“Stop pretending to be unconscious you bastard” He waits a few seconds in pettiness and powers on.

“I should not have told you that” Snorting he picks him up to face the others.

“Say hi to our friends” He doesn't feel good about this.

“... hi” He looks down and Peter is about to say something when Helen beats him to it.

“Uncle Elias will be happy to know you are ok you know? He did always wonder if Gertrude found you” He freezes in a panic and looks at Helen, his fans pick up.

“Excuse me?!” She looks at Peter who offers him to the woman, she takes him further away while the others start to sit around the injured man.

“Hello Elias, my uncle is curiously called Elias Bouchard and has a very, if not to say the same voice as you”

She knew?

“You knew i was…?”

“Pretending to be something else? Yes, did I know you were killing people too? Of course! Do you know how many scientists were working far more easily? How the work was going up? Oh it was not JoN’s flimsy attempts. My only concern was if you went rogue like Uncle told me you did, but it was very easy to see you were quite…. enamoured with Peter for it to work”

He has to point out the obvious.

“I was very.. attached to Elias and i still tried to kill everyone but him” She looks at him and smiles softly.

“You know… he always did wonder if you weren't lying about that” 

HURTS

Looking morosely at her he makes a non committed sound.

“Oh don't be like that, its a perfectly normal doubt” Rolling his eye he sighs.

“I know that, i… really know that i expected it, just… not nice to have it be confirmed” Frowning she purses her lips.

“He missed you” He manages to not flinch.

“Time and regret makes you miss things you shouldt Helen”

She stands her ground.

“I'm ok with your killing antics, i like you! I like Peter and he has killed for you-” He looks alarmed.

“He admitted it, besides he killed Leitner so it doesn't count, he deserves a price for it” Choking a laugh he lets out a few beeps.

“Yeah, yeah he does. Bastard!!” She smiles and its all teeth.

“Rat bastard, motherfucker Jurgen Leitner”

He has to actually laugh at that.

“Really??”

“Oh, the son of Eric started the rant about it when her mom got obsessed with his experiments. Good kid, Eric got custody thankfully, i spent lots of time babysitting little Gerry”

“Eric Delano?”

“YES! You remember him?” Of course he did, the man was the best assistant Gertrude had, being the one who knew what the hell he was supposed to be doing. When he found out his wife was pregnant he started to do everything in his power to get fired, since his contract was for five years and he did not want to miss his son’s childhood.

Elias sat with him and recounted the new attempt Eric did to get fired every time.

Technically it was really up to him, but he had spent so much with Elias that he was actually curious to see how long he could keep doing it. Also it drove Gertrude so mad.

“I think his best attempt at getting fired was the time he managed to get his hands on a bunch of chemicals that when he mixed them caused a giant explosion of pink. He waited until he was stuck in a room with Gerti and Jurgen before activating it…” 

Oh it had been glorious, he saved the recording and showed it to Elias who laughed until he almost passed out at seeing the woman's face. He gave him the copy.

That was the final straw and he had to let him go, but he did send him a little more money just for causing those two to lose it.

Helen opens and closes her mouth.

“Nooo! Eric???”

“Oh yeah he was the most wild and destructive person when he wanted to be”

“Oh my god, he never- i can't believe him-!!!” Chuckling, he offers her to send her recordings of his attempts at getting fired.

The time he decided to forgo all dress code, before he got rid of the rule for Elias weed socks and went walking around in a pair of booty shorts, sunglasses and a shirt that says everyone sucks except for me.

“Good lord. Still, backtracking, uncle misses you, i mean it…” She kindly makes him look at her.

“... if you say so”

“If you don't believe me i can put you both in contact, he will tell you”

NONONONO 

He doesn't want the confirmation of what he already knows.

“No need at all”

“Eli-” He looks behind and sees everyone else piling up near Peter.

“Of course I leave for ten minutes and you are all piling up” Helen turns and takes him to Peter who snorted an was holding his hands up for him. 

“Join the cuddle pile Elias” He puts him on the opposite side from Tim and hugs him close to his chest.

“Oh?? Are we doing a… slumber party!!?” Pasha sounds curious.

Elias has some reservations, but he can feel for her at attempting to fit in with the humans while learning to be one.

“No idea, never had one”

“Peter dear that is the saddest thing I ever heard and i was an orphan” Helen looks down at them.

“You really never had one?” Tim comes closer and if Elias wasn't so spent he would be mildly worried about him leaning so much on Peter, but the man did declare his love to him.

“No guys, my family sucked” 

He recognizes it at least.

“Ok, new plan we are making one for you, Pasha and Elias when we are all together in one place how does that sound?”He looks surprised at being included, he does try to recall if he ever had a slumber party, but the ones Jonah had weren't…

Technically for that purpose.

“Sure, now i'm tired...”

“Yeah, yeah, i'm leaving” Tim moves and Elias sees Peter look at everyone consideringly.

“Or you could all stay?”

They all sort of look at each other

“You sure you are not the shapeshifter?”

“Shut the fuck up Stoker”

“Make me!”

“In your dreams” Snorting at the comment, Peter kisses him.

“Love you little ball of rage”

“Love you too, you bastard” Elias looks at him mildly offended but very smug at him saying i love you in front of the other. 

“Oh, oh, Helen can we share too!?”

“Sure thing little one!” She smiles indulgently like a mother to her child and he didn't expect that development.

They pick another of the beds and flop there, Pasha literally clings to Helen in ways that her legs should not be able to move, but the woman looks amused and gives her a hug.

Elias looks at all of them sleep and feels…

Happy.

Huh.

  
  


By morning Missy very understandably scolds them, but smiles at them like if they were all a bunch of kids sneaking to visit Peter while he was sick.

Very accurate actually.

  
  


Peter tells him that Helen thanks him.

“Why?”

“If we haven't met, or i hadn't befriended her, she wouldn’t have managed to find her dad”

He freezes

“Micheal is alive?!”

“Apparently, he aged slowly and he doesn't remember anything, but he is alright”

Micheal Shelley had been Elias' only other human friend, besides perhaps Eric. Still… he had.. similar issues with him as he has with Tim now.

Back then he didn't get it, jealousy was beneath him so he couldn't even really comprehend his irrational anger at being ignored and his mild happiness everytime Elias got into a fight and came to him.

He was his first friend even if he didnt know it back then and it annoyed him to share him with the other. 

“Huh”

Missy gives Peter permission to go pick up his stuff from his room, or well to go there, she will be the one actually packing.

“But-”

“No- you are not fully healed” She is correct.

“Fine, FINE”

He picks him up and they go. 

The room is as they left it, he gets hit with a wave of nostalgia, it hasn't even been that long, but so much happened that it's surreal to be here.

“I love the decor Peter!”

“Yeah, we picked it together” He sounds proud of that and it makes him feel warm.

When they go to his desk, he sees the broken plastic crown. Elias remembers too now being taken from the room and gives him a spike of panic.

That thing ruined their room, their safe place is now soured. Seeing the broken crown is just another reminder about things lost.

“He broke it…”

“Im sorry Lias, i.. will get another one” The crown was a gift that and the pillow where hsi first official gifts from Peter. They meant a lot, replacing it feels…

Cheap.

The ring and bracelet are gone and that is another hit to his pride.

Peter picks up the pieces and takes them. With care he grabs the rest of his belongings and puts them in his bag since they were not really heavy. Once done, they sit and watch Missy move, she is graceful and quiet, its impressive and he still feels a little envious about her.

Still, he lets Peter play with him and they pass the time recounting some stories to her.

She looks at them and smiles when Peter is not watching. When he catches him staring she gives him a wink and he gets a message.

**OH MISSY YOU SO FINE**

Look after him dear, he loves you so much ^-^

**PLUKASSIMP**

I will try

**OH MISSY YOU SO FINE**

Little kraken ii know you will! I'm just really happy for both of you, you make each other better

**PLUKASSIMP**

…

Better and worse

**OH MISSY YOU SO FINE**

Yes, but we all can do that, what matters is what you let define you.

**PLUKASSIMP**

Thanks Miss Lukas

**OH MISSY YOU SO FINE**

Oh sweetie, if you are going to get married you will be my son in law. It's ok if you want to call me Missy. I don't mind mom either ;) 

I have found that it's nice to be one, I was never mean to, but it brings me joy. Maybe you can find something else too…

Clever woman

**PLUKASSIMP**

I'm going to try.

… Should i ask about the nickname or…?

**OH MISSY YOU SO FINE**

Titania dear thought it was amusing

Yours?

**PLUKASSIMP**

A friend picked it as a joke.

I grew fond of it.

**OH MISSY YOU SO FINE**

Curious, my son has a similar handle albeit with your name instead

He moves his handle and hits Peter softly in the stomach flustered..

**OH MISSY YOU SO FINE**

_ My oh my ;) _

Once done they all walk to the ship, Peter spots Martin and is if called by a primal need, goes to stand behind him to freak him out.

“Buu”

“JESUS PETER!” Elias is doing his best to not cackle maniacally.

Grinning madly he laughs, oh he was going to miss this.

“Why do you have to do that!” Perhaps because it is very amusing to see the other man look so freaked out.

“It's fun?”

“Not to me it's not!”

“So how is going back to earth with you know who going?” The man flounders and flushes, but looks a little… upset? Huh, he would imagine that going back with JoN would be something the other wanted. 

Elias hasn't spoken with JoN yet. He really doesn't know what to tell him and technically it's his fault they are both without a primary objective.

“Its fine! Its just the umm, finding a new job that will be hard? This was sort of my saving grace all in all” Peter pats his shoulder.

“I have an idea, Simon has offices in London? i could tell him to hire you, i'm sure you can… invent something that would work” That calls his attention, it was awfully nice of Peter.

He forgot that Martin lied on his Cv to get this job.

“I- you- you would do that, but i-”

“I, kind of enjoy your company Martin! You are rather fun too, so if you agree… Plus Simon did take a shine to you”

“Thats- thats more than i could- Thank you” 

**OH MISSY YOU SO FINE**

I'm going to scare him

PLUKASSIMP

Why??!

**OH MISSY YOU SO FINE**

… 

He looks like he would have a funny response

**PLUKASSIMP**

You know I really see where Peter got his everything from now.

**OH MISSY YOU SO FINE**

:D :D :D

“Yeah, no problem, say would you like to meet my mom?”

…

They really are if not by blood related.

“Wha-”

“Hello Martin!” Missy used the same tone and smile that Peter does when he scares him.

“JESUS!” 

**OH MISSY YOU SO FINE**

Oh my this was really funny!

Maybe I can scare some of the crewmates…

**PLUKASSIMP**

… Can i help?

**OH MISSY YOU SO FINE**

Of course my little sea serpent

Peter cackles and Elias breaks and joins him, Missy in the perfect picture of innocence just lifts his lips upwards a little.

“Dear lord, there are two of you now?!”

The three of them walk away.

Really maybe things can change for the better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elias was really just:  
> Turn off, getting traumatized and reseted.  
> Get memories back, turned off by his almost dying boyfriend.  
> Turns on again, told he caused the love of his life death and that he has nothing left to lose so he tries to get himself killed but is turned off again.  
> To FINALLy turn on again and discover it was a lie and that Peter was fine.  
> Really awful last couple of days. Rest assured, Missy almost breaks an old man’s nose and breaks up with his girlfriend for almost getting his son’s boyfriend killed when she found out. I love Missy with all my heart.  
> Oh Simon did not mean to do that, he really just wanted to see if he felt bad or not about Peter, he didn't expect Elias would try to self destruct.  
> Helen is a gift as usual. Old station shenanigans because why not? Also Gerry lives with his dad and is happy and studying art, he might not appear but mister Keay in my heart you live you loveable goth.

**Author's Note:**

> Updates for this one will be.. weird. They are shorter than the main one so i have several chapters made. However once those are up, i might take a while to update so dont expect consistency in this one.  
> Anyways, for those who want to know what is Elias thinking during the story this is it people.


End file.
